By Friday Idachaba
Anyigba – Alhaji Mohammed Chapi-Emgali, the Vice-President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has called on government at all levels to evolve deliberate policies to promote cashew production, processing and marketing in the country.
Chapi-Emgali made the call at a forum of stakeholders on Cashew and the association’s Dinner/Award Night at Anyigba in Dekina Local Government of Kogi on Saturday.
He called on the need for a revolution in the agriculture sector through cashew production and processing in the country.
He said that the product had impacted on the economy of Kogi East Senatorial District resulting in an urban to rural migration.
Chapi-Emgali urged Nigerian farmers to seize the advantage of the high exchange rate, and return the country to the era of agricultural boom and massive youth employment.
Also speaking, Mr Gabriel Aduku, former Minister of State for Health, called for greater attention to the agriculture sector in view of its multi-dimensional importance to national growth and development.
Aduku said that enormous opportunities abound in the cashew value chain that can be exploited by the teeming youths.
“It is left for the government to realise this and come up with the right policies to drive the cashew phenomenon. Nigerian farmers should take advantage of the high exchange rate.
“In Vietnam, the local currency (Dong) exchanges 0.000044 to the U.S. dollars, yet anywhere you go, you see ‘Made in Vietnam’, and they are a happy people.
“When the exchange rate is high, it is our (farmers) time”, the former Minister added.
Also speaking, the Kogi Chairman of NCAN, Mr Stephen Ahiaba said there was need to improve capacity in seedling, mechanisation and processing to meet increased global demand for cashew.
According to Ahiaba, Kogi is presently producing about 60,000 metric tonnes of cashew.
He added that Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi was putting measures in place to increase production to about 200,000 metric tonnes.
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