Ogun State Anchor Borrowers Programme

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 6^th 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 16^th October, 2019 and ran for two weeks at 4 points in each of the 20 LGAs. On Friday the 3^rd 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.