President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) launched the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) on
November 17, 2015. The programme is intended to create a linkage between anchor companies (involved in the
processing) and small holder farmers (SHFs) of the required key agricultural
commodities. The programme provides farm inputs in kind and cash (for farm
labour) to small holder farmers to boost production of the selected
commodities. It also stabilizes inputs supply to agro processors and address the
country’s negative balance of payments on food. At harvest, the SHF supplies
his/her produce to the Agro-processor (Anchor) who pays the cash equivalent to
the farmer’s account (more information can be gotten from Central Bank of
Nigeria website).
On Friday, the 6th September, 2019, the
Ogun State Anchor Borrowers Programme was officially launched by the Executive
Governor of the State, Prince Dapo Abiodun MFR. The event took place
at the Cultural Centre Kuto, Abeokuta with many dignitaries in attendance.
Participants were selected from the 20 Local Government Areas (LGA) across the
State. Selections were made from the State recruitment portal,
google form and manual registration at the
State Ministry of Agriculture.
Value Chains to be considered include cassava,
maize, rice, cotton, oil palm, fishery, poultry, piggery and cattle fattening. 40,000
participants are expected to be recruited during the lifespan of the project
while the pilot phase will consist of 10,000 participants with equal
representation from across the LGAs. It is in a ratio of 1ha to 1participant
for crop production.
Verification/screening exercise commenced on 16th
October, 2019 and ran for two weeks at 4 points in each of the 20 LGAs. On
Friday the 3rd of January, 2020 a town hall meeting was held at the
Tech Hub, Kobape, Abeokuta, organised for stakeholders to agree on fertilizer,
cost of transportation, scaring of birds on rice farms and farmers’ equity.
Also, how farmers will make profit and repay loan were also discussed among
other issues.
Farmers’ Facts have however received report that
land to be used by the participants would be cleared soon as meetings are being
held with service providers.
Hopefully I believe, the programme will start very
soon.
