With the current state of the Nation bedevilled by insecurity and a hike in prices of foodstuffs in the market, stakeholders in the agriculture sector are advocating for farmers to engage in insurance of their produce.
This was part of the resolutions at the just concluded stakeholders workshop on enhancing agricultural resilience through farmer-centric insurance products held in Minna, the Niger State Capital.
The workshop put together by the National Association of Nigerian Traders and the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), was in collaboration with the Niger State government through the ministry of agriculture.
With the theme: Improving Farmers’ Resilience and Upscaling Productivity, Incomes, and Livelihood in Rice, Maize, Soyabean, Cowpea and Vegetable Value Chain in Niger state, it is aimed at ensuring food security by making farmers key into the insurance policy by insuring their crops and products to cover them in case of any disaster.
The commissioner for Agriculture, Saliu Bosso represented by the permanent secretary, Mathew Ahmed, said the state government is doing everything possible to see that farmers key into the insurance policy.
Representative of Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Godswill Agwuyi, said the organisation is working to improve the lives of smallholder farmers through access to credit and finance.
One of the participants and Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Niger, Idris Abini, promised to sensitise its members on the importance of insurance, its benefits and the need to key in.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Traders in conjunction with the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa, commissioned a rice processing facility at Gbamanda, a rice producing area at Gidan Mangoro community in Bosso Local Government Area of the state.
The facility and distribution of Point of Sale (POS) machines to cooperatives will add value to food security and improve productivity.
While appreciating the donor for the facility, the Village Head of Gidan Mangoro, Sani Adamu, and other beneficiaries promised to make judicious use of the facility and the POS machines as well as adequate maintenance.
Editor : Ena Agbanoma
