By Ahmad Umar
Gombe (Nigeria) –All Farmers Association of Nigeria, (AFAN) an umbrella body of Nigerian farmers has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for revitalizing the agricultural sector through various programmes.
In a communique issued on Wednesday at the end of its North East zonal meeting in Gombe, the Association said the revitalization of the sector has enhanced the productivity of farmers in the country.
“The role of CBN in the provision of quantum amount in the support of agricultural development through its Anchor Borrowers Scheme for crops such as rice, tomatoes, wheat, cassava, maize, etc is commendable,” .
The meeting also agreed that AFAN must have a data base for all its members for easy identification, while there is the need for the association to monitor inputs sold to farmers with a view to reporting adulterated ones to relevant agencies.
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It equally calls for the early release of loans and other agricultural inputs at the inception of farming activities (April-May) as this would make effective utilisation of such funds and to be able to pay back on time.
The Association however decried difficulties faced by its members in accessing insurance cover as a result of stringent bureaucratic bottlenecks.
The farmers lamented that some procedural requirements were making it difficult for members of the association to access insurance.
The association therefore called on the National Agricultural Insurance Commission (NAIC) to initiate enlightenment campaign to sensitise farmers on the necessary procedural requirements.
