HortiNigeria, a Dutch-funded horticultural program implemented in Kano, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo states, has launched initiatives to boost financial access for 55 producer organisations and value chain actors in Kaduna aimed at bolstering financial access and insurance uptake for 55 Producer Organisations (POs) and Agribusiness Cluster (ABC) actors in Kaduna.
Speaking during a one-day workshop organized by HortiNigeria, the inclusive finance lead in HortiNigeria, Ikechukwu Chiaka, stated that producer groups and actors within the program value chain of tomatoes, pepper, onions, cabbage, as well as transporters and aggregators among others will be sensitized by financial service providers (FSPs) such as LAPO Microfinance Bank, Alternative Bank, among others to increase access to finance.
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He explained that the main purpose of the training was for the producer organisations and actors to have the necessary knowledge in what it entails to being bankable. “At the end of the training, we hope to achieve increased access to finance by all actors along the value chain of the selected commodities,” he said.
However, speaking on behalf of the participants, Malama Halima Dahiru Kudan stated that farmers have been battling with issues related to access to finance due to poor awareness on terms and conditions involved as well as poor knowledge on processes involve in accessing such available finances meant for farmers.
