Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, one of Africa`s foremost flour production companies, has initiated a multi-million Naira wheat seed out-grower scheme geared at boosting the Federal Government wheat production programme across the country.
The wheat seed out-grower scheme which is solely funded and executed by the company in partnership with a team of private local and Chinese consultants, is being implemented in the three northern states of: Kano, Jigawa, and Gombe.
In executing the programme, the company would be providing certified and high quality wheat seeds, assorted farming inputs, and implements for land preparation to the 5 farmers each selected from each of the 3 states participating in the scheme.
Speaking exclusively to BusinessDay, while flagging-off the programme, at Kadawa Farming Belt of Kano, Oluwasina G. Olabanji, the company lead consultant for the project, said the scheme was conceived as a way of addressing the difficulty associated with sourcing for quality wheat seeds by farmers in the country.
Olabanji, a Researcher, who was recently as a director in Lake Chad Research Institute, in the North –East of Borno, before his current appointment disclosed that the scheme was also conceived to make quality wheat seeds available to Nigerian Farmers.
“We are very excited today to flag off the wheat seed Out-grower Scheme being promoted by the Flour Mills of Nigeria. This programme was borne out of the need to address the issue of inadequate quality seed hampering wheat production in the country.
“This project become imperative because last year when the wheat production campaign was launched a target of 500,000 hectares was planned for cultivation, but because of the challenge of inadequate quality seeds only about 300,000 hectares were achieved.
“This programme was initiated as a mark of appreciation for what Mr. President is doing in this regard, and to assist our farmers to access quality seeds which is very critical to the success of the national wheat production programme” Olabanji explained.
In the same vein, he stated the implementation was also prompted by the need to check the incidences of fake and adulterated wheat seeds currently imported into the country, noticed to be circulation among some farmers in the country.
“The other reason why we believe this programme is imperative was that it will go a long way provide the farmers the right kind of wheat seeds, and this would prevent them from patronizing the fake and adulterated seeds being imported into the country.
“We are aware of the importation of unhealthy seeds known as ‘Winter Seeds’, and it is well known that this seed is not good for farmers here as it doesn’t produce seeds, it only grow like grass.
“That is why on discovering this development, we are applying to Federal Government to come with policy to regulate the importation and circulation of agricultural seeds in the country, as current unregulated of this activity is not good for our quest for self –sufficiency in wheat production” he added.
Olabanji expressed the determination of the Company to continue to support the wheat production initiative of the government as well as the farmers.
“We want to assure the farmers that the Company which is one of the major Off-Taker of Wheat is out to continue to support them that was why were able to play a role in mopping up the over 450,000 bags of wheat production by farmers last planting season which the market cannot absolved.
“We did this in order to encourage them to produce more knowing that it is by producing more that they move out poverty and more people can be taken out of unemployed market” he stressed.
Commenting on the programme, Saleh Slim Mohammed, president, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) commended the company for embarking on the initiative, which according to him would go a long way in addressing challenge which farmers are facing concerning seed availability.
Saleh however, want the Federal Government re-examine composition of membership of the Task Force it established on Wheat Production, and include more stakeholders that are critical to the wheat production programme.
Also, speaking at the occasion, Saidu G.B. Zakari, a leading farmer, associated with the Company wheat production programme, said the scheme would help Nigeria to reduce unemployment, poverty, and conservation of foreign exchange being expended on wheat importation.
Other frontline individuals who participated in the flagging off of the scheme, includes: Sani Umar, a director in the Company, as well as Farouk Rabiu Mudi, chairman, Kano Chapter of Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, among others.
