The Maize Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (MAGPAMAN) Niger State chapter, yesterday, showcased their harvest with the return and mounting of maize pyramid.
The pyramid involved the contribution of 12 bags of maize from 977 farmers who benefitted from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers scheme as repayment for their loans during the rainy season farming.
Speaking at the event in Minna, yesterday, the state Chairman of MAGPAMAN, Mallam Muhammed Mustapha, said the pyramid was a symbol of bumper harvest recorded in MAIZE-CBN Anchor Borrower’s Programme
“About 977 farmers participated in the wet season maize farming under our association from all the 25 local government areas of Niger State.
“Each farmer got farming input worth N182,198 for the farming and paid back with 12 bags of maize. Each farmer was expected to farm one hectare of land with the input while we got 40 bags and above from the farming,” Mustapha said.
He said they were expressing their appreciation with the mounting of the pyramid for the support and acceptance rendered to the association by the CBN by linking them up with the maize smaller holders farmers in the country.
“We are much more enlightened, capacitated and experienced in handling local farmers especially in loan facility aspects to enhance food security and improve the livelihood of the beneficiaries,” he said.
He noted that though they encountered challenges, they were not deterred, adding that with the support of the CBN and other key service providers in the programme, they would surmount the obstacles.
He said his association remained resolute to supporting maize value chain in Nigeria with CBN partnership and support.
Also speaking, National Vice President of MAGPAMAN, Mallam Aliyu Umar, who disclosed that 58, 000 of their members benefitted from the programme across all the state of the federation
He said the association was capable of producing maize for national consumption but appealed to the government to urgently provide farm inputs to farmers on time so as to meet up with the country’s demand.
Umar lamented the delay in the supply of the farming input saying farming of maize has season and that the input needed should be supplied to them on time.
He expected the apex bank to start the distribution of farming input to them soonest so as to start the dry season farming in earnest.
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