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Olam, an agribusiness and food conglomerate, has taken a bold step to raise the level of
agricultural productivity in Nigeria. At the National Wheat Farmers Field Day held in Kano
recently, the agribusiness conglomerate revealed that over 30,000 farmers have been trained
and equipped through a joint effort of one of its strategic business units – Crown Flour Mill
(CFM), Flour Miller’s Association of Nigeria (FMAN) and the Federal Government; in a bid to
deepen the national agricultural extension scheme, especially in the wheat segment.
Mr. Ashish Pande, Managing Director, Crown Flour Mill Limited, shared that as a member of
FMAN, Crown Flour Mill is committed to improving wheat production, through adequate
financing and research in the country.
He added that the agribusiness conglomerate’s wheat development effort has led to the
execution of several well-coordinated capacity building initiatives which include bringing local
wheat farmers up to speed with innovative wheat farming practices.
Pande explained, “We wish to get new technologies in Nigeria to further build on the wheat
initiative. We look forward to partnering with organizations across the wheat value chain to
improve farmers’ yields through high-quality seeds, expanded extension services and improved
access to irrigation.”
Alhaji Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, who also attended the
event, explained that the Federal Government prioritizes the agricultural extension programme
considering its implication on national agricultural productivity ad food security.
Nanono said the federal government is targeting 70,000 workers, adding that 30,000 of them
had completed the training that is designed to expose them to modern farming techniques,
fertilizer and chemical application.
According to him, the agricultural development effort would encourage the development of
small-scale wheat processing mills to make wheat flour and other wheat products available in
the market. He explained that encouraging wheat production and processing would go a long
way to boosting food security and economic growth.
Also speaking at the event, Alhaji Salihu Muhammad, Chairman, Wheat Farmers Association of
Nigeria (WFAN), stated that the developmental drive of the association has introduced the
Durum wheat variety, one of the most cultivated varieties of the crop, and engaged the services
of experienced seed scientists to accelerate wheat production in the country.
He further called for the inclusion of wheat farmers in the Federal Government’s Anchor
Borrower Programme (APB) because the exclusion of their 200,000 registered members has
negatively affected wheat production in the country.
In his remark, Nasiru Gawuna, the Kano State Deputy Governor, said the state government had
concluded plans to establish additional water bodies and upgrade existing dams to encourage
wheat cultivation and other irrigation activities. Gawuna said the government had embarked
on the rehabilitation and desalting of Watari dam and upgrade of irrigation schemes in Bagwai
LGA.
While reiterating the government’s commitment to supporting farmers, Gawuna urged the
farmers to utilize the inputs distributed to them to improve their productivity.
Precisely, the agricultural extension programmes are transforming the national agriculture
landscape and driving national food security. The coordinated measures taken by Crown Flour
Mill, FMAN, WFAN, the Federal Government and Kano State Government are equipping
farmers with modern farming techniques, crop processing and entrepreneurial skills, and would
add value to agricultural produce.
Apart from contributing immensely to training the 30,000 farmers, CFM and other members of
FMAN have provided support to 800 farmers in Kano, Kebbi and Jigawa States. The farmers
were provided with improved seeds variety, fertilizers, chemicals and 50 threshers under a soft
loan scheme designed to enhance farmer access to inputs and extension services.
It would be recalled that the miller’s association also recently collaborated with Oxfam and the
Agricultural Research Institutes to establish wheat farming service centers in 15 LGAs in the
Northern wheat-growing states.
Nigeria is in dire need of aggressive national action at this present time to ensure her growing
population is well nourished as the world food system continues to contract due to the impact
of the ongoing pandemic.
Agnes Kalibata, the special envoy to the UN secretary-general put the global food crisis in sharp
perspective at the food systems summit 2021 when she said, “Food systems have contracted,
because of Covid-19. Food has become more expensive and, in some places, out of reach for
people. Food is looking more challenging this year than last year.”
While headline inflation in Nigeria reached 15% recently, rice, a popular grain in Nigerian
dining, became inaccessible and expensive. To overcome the price pressure and scarcity of the
grain food on the retail shelves, retailers pivoted to stocking and selling semolina and other
wheat-based food products like pasta