By; SANI ALIYU, Zaria
The Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN) has restated its commitment to expanding wheat production in Nigeria to increase farmers yields towards making wheat more competitive with rice and other dry season crops .
Dr. Aliyu Samaila , National Programme Manager of the association disclosed this at the Kaduna State Wheat Farmers Green Field Day held at Tudun- Kusa in Zaria
He said FMAN priority is to provide a market for wheat farmers in Nigeria as well as to expand their procurement as an industry across the wheat producing states through additional aggregation staff and warehouse capacity .
The Programme Manager said they are establishing procurement centers across the 15 Northern states to offtake all wheat grain from 150,000 farmers under the Central Bank of Nigeria ( Anchor Borrowers Programme).
According to him, the state are Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto , Bauchi , Adamawa , Katsina , Gombe , Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara Niger and Yobe state respectively.
Dr. Samaila said their 2021-2022 development programme includes cultivation of 504 demonstration farms each on 0.5 ha across the 15 Northern stated to provide training and Agronomic practice to 250,000 farmers under the (CBN ABP) as well the expansion of the FMAN direct outgrower progammes with input loans to 2000 farmers in 7 states .
Similarly, FMAN expansion of seed production with 6 certified seed companies for the dry and wet season seed production in order to produce sufficient seed for 5000 outgrowers next season.
The FMAN Programme Manager noted that transferring wheat production in Nigeria require a strong vision backed by clear roles and responsibilities for all established to address real time challenges and learn from each other’s
Declaring the Field Day opened the Commissioner of Agriculture Kaduna state malam Ibrahim Garba Hussaini said the ministry has revolved the agriculture with wheat farming at Zaria , Igabi and Kubau and the farms a doing very well .
He called on the stakeholders to look at the decaying dams and channels to put them into a very functional and good condition for the wheat farmers to enjoy their farming effectively.
Mal. Garba Hussaini said wheat Farmers are suffering as a result of draying dams and channels problems which need an urgent steps to be taken to address the situation .
Also in his remarks the General manager Kaduna State Agricultural Development Agency (KADA) Dr. Abubakar Bayero said Kaduna State has since embark on wheat farming and the result is positive .
Bayero who expressed appreciation on the acceptance of the Tudun Kasa farmers that uses Galma irrigation farm to return to the wheat faring once again despite the problem occurred in the fast.
Speaking at the occasion the Regional Coordinator of the programme Professor I.U Abubakar said FMAN and CBN have been working tirelessly in ensuring the success of the programme.
He said the Lake Chad Research Institute and Seed companies as well the extension farmers have been doing very well in ensuring that wheat farming has succeeded beyond reasonable doubt and make Nigeria wheat import free .
.
