FMAN Signs Agreement to Purchase Wheat Produced in 15 Northern States
To aid easy access to the market, the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN) has said it would purchase the wheat produced by farmers under the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) in 15 Northern states.
FMAN said it has signed a yearly Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) to buy any quantity of wheat available at an attractive price based on farmer yields. According to the association, about 150,000 wheat farmers would supply their produce at the various procurement centres it established across the states.
FMAN listed the states to include Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Adamawa, Katsina, Gombe, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara, Niger and Yobe.
The development was disclosed in a statement released recently by FMAN, noting that it plans to sustainably expand wheat production in the country, increase farmers’ yields and make wheat competitive.
Speaking at an event to mark the 2021-2022 planting season, FMAN said it would oversee the cultivation of 500 demonstration farms across the 15 northern states to provide training on good agronomic practices to 150,000 farmers under the ABP.
According to the association, the transformation of the wheat industry in Nigeria requires a strong vision backed by clear roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders.
“To this end, we will be organising state-wide Field Days in all our major areas of operations to bring together key stakeholders to address real-time challenges and learn from each other, as well as a Wheat Farmers Yield Championship at the end of the season to recognise the highest performing farmers,” the statement read in part.
However, the association said it was looking forward to partnering with organisations across the wheat value chain to improve farmers’ yields through high-quality seeds, expanded extension services, and improved access to irrigation, based on sound data and evidence.
Agro Nigeria
