Femi Mustapha
In a move to boost Wheat Production in Northern Nigeria the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria, (FMAN) is set to establish procurement centres across 15 Northern States to offtake all wheat grain from up to 150k farmers under the CBN Anchor Borrower Program (ABP).
The National Program Manager,(FMAN) Aliyu Samaila, asserted this occasion at the Wheat Farmers’ Green Field Day organized by FMAN in Collaboration with CBN Wheat ABP held in Galma, Zaria of Kaduna State.
He explained that the Procurement Centres will be located at Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Adamawa, Katsina, Gombe, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara, Niger and Yobe.
According to him, the number one priority of FMAN is to provide a market for Wheat Farmers in Nigeria, thereby expanding their procurement as an industry across the Wheat producing States through additional aggregation staff and warehouse capacity specifically.
Earlier in his opening Remarks at the occasion, Commissioner for Agriculture, Kaduna State, Mallam Ibrahim Garba Hussaini, advised stakeholders to improve on the revitalization of Dams and Waterways to boost Wheat production.
The commsissioner who was represented the by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Yahaya Ahmed Saidu said, some of the challenges the Dry- Season Farmers are facing in Wheat Farming, are the dilapidated conditions and inadequate functioning of dams and waterway.
“Let’s join hands to make wheat farming a serious business in Nigeria.
“I also like to draw the attention of the stakeholders. We need to also look at the challenges the farmers have, and we recognize all the dams, we have all the channels, but some of the channels are drying out, so we need to improve our waterways”.
Also speaking, representative of CBN- ABP, Kaduna, Head, Development Finance Office, DFO, Kaduna, Aminu Muhammad, in his remark, said that, the CBN-ABP Wheat Programme was launched in 2015 by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mohammadu Buhari, in Kebbi State.
“After the launching of the CBN- ABP in Kebbi, by our President in 2015, the Wheat Programme has never stop, CBN has never relented in their attempt to also grow wheat in Nigeria.
“In 2020 dry season, we partner with State government to do the wheat and also in other State.
“What we are doing now is because what we have seen during the lockdown. Exportation of food items including wheat, rice etc, because of that we strategies to produce wheat in Nigeria.
” Nigeria annual consumption of wheat is more than 4 million metric tons, but the production is in hundred of thousand “. Mohammed said.
Similarly, Former Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute, and Wheat Researcher, Dr Oluwasina Gbenga Olabanjo, stressed the need to invest in wheat farming, saying that, wheat has become an integral part of every home.
He further explained how the FMAN has brought synergy among the stakeholders under an umbrella.
A beneficiary at the occasion, Malam Suleiman Adamu who spoke on behalf of other Participants said they are happy to be part of those benefiting from the FMAN Wheat Farming Programme.
In the same vein, Mrs Faith Bonnet who spoke on behalf of the female participants said “We are now proud wheat farmers. we came into this farming without knowing how to do it, but FMAN has taught us, and gave us the support needed”.
