A nationwide integrated agriculture project that has been initiated by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), in collaboration with the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) is projected to double the earnings of small farm holders, processing companies and other businesses in the agro-allied value chain across Nigeria.
Increasing the production levels and incomes of farmers and other stakeholders in processing agro-products will increase the 24.2 percent contribution of agriculture to GDP in real terms as captured in the 2015 Q4 GDP report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS)
The project comes amidst dwindling income and a gradually receding economy in dire need of alternative sources of income.
“The philosophy of the integrated project is that everyone (stakeholder in the agriculture value chain) will be contributing to the small farm holders in the country, and definitely it is going to trigger great production. The integrated approach is like a vehicle for getting whatever benefits that comes from individuals, government; in terms of technical support to get to the real farmers. To back it up, we have established a cooperative group which everybody will subscribe to. Experts have been brought to manage it and loans can also be obtained through it,” says Adeola Elliot, Chairman of the Agriculture group at LCCI.
Elliot also tells BusinessDay that the initiative is different from Integrated Farming which usually serves an individual farm, rather, providing a collaborative framework to support all farmers in Nigeria.
Tunji Falade, Managing Director of Kingsway Quality Foods describes the integrated agric project as “a total and complete agric value chain framework. We are looking at a situation whereby production is enhanced, storage, processing, and eventually to the market. We want to harness (distribution) of farm inputs, enhance production, processing, and marketing.”
“The integration is that information available for progress of agriculture is made available to every farmer irrespective of where you are,” said Elliot.
The project has also earned the support of USAID which according to Elliot, has been convinced that whatever assistance is provided will get to the individual farmers across Nigeria in stimulating growth and increased productivity.
The objectives of the LCCI integrated agricultural project plan include relating with the Government at Federal and State levels, with a view to obtaining facilities provided for the development of Agriculture in Nigeria. Also, to facilitate increased production of produce by farmers in the Group for the Integrated Agriculture Project; develop appropriate pricing for farmers who supply produce into the Integrated Agriculture Project; ensure appropriate training initiatives and hands-on for farmers in collaboration with Technical Agriculture Agencies namely, IITA, FIIRO, ARMTI etc
The project also aims to drive the agro-processing segment with vigor in order to have well packaged products available to the Nigerian market; develop state-of-the-art building and facilities for LCCI Integrated Agriculture Supermarket in every Local Government, incorporating existing facilities owned by members or any willing persons; liaise with other manufacturers of consumable goods to distribute their products through the project’s supermarket; and relate with Commodity Exchange Board to obtain market current information for farmers.
Falade of Kingsway Quality Foods expatiates on modalities for securing appropriate pricing, saying that “the ICT department (of the integrated agric project) is to collaborate with other organizations in getting appropriate pricing for farmers. So at the end of the day they don’t see shortchange in any form. If we collaborate with appropriate organizations, we can get the right pricing for them. Because right now, some of them are even shortchanged by the prices they sell their products,” says Falade of Kingsway Quality Foods.
With appropriate pricing for those who supply into the integrated framework, they can get the right value for their products. The ICT unit will be working with the Commodity Exchange board and other private sector driven exchange boards in ensuring appropriate prices are obtained.
