By Tukur Muntari
Kano – In a bid to boost the production of wheat in the country, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) has called on the Federal Government to issue farmers and other stakeholders with licenses to import high yield seeds.
National President of the association Alh. Salim Mohammed made the call on Monday in Kano at a one-day workshop on Communication Strategy for Journalists and other stakeholders.
The meeting was organised by the Agro-processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project (APPEALS), a World Bank-Assisted Project in collaboration with the Kano State Government.
He said that the call was necessary in view of the fact that only one research institution had been given the mandate to produce wheat seed in the country.
“Only one research institute – Lake Chad Research Institute – has been given the mandate to produce wheat seed.
“Nigeria is still using wheat seed produced four years ago,” he said.
Mohammed said that lack of wheat seed varieties was responsible for the low yield of the commodity, thereby affecting its production across the country.
“We have to look at the means of importing high yield seeds if we must boost wheat production in the country and save ourselves from importation of the commodity,” the national president said.
He stressed the need for the Federal Government to support research institutes in conducting research so that wheat farmers could be bailed out of the current challenges facing production of the commodity.
Mohammed said that since the inauguration of the Anchor Borrower programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Kebbi State, about four years ago, wheat farmers were only able to access the loan facility from the apex bank last year.
“Since the Federal Government inaugurated the Anchor Borrower programme in Kebbi State, only 9, 000 wheat farmers were able to access the loan facility in 2018,” he added.
The national president of the association, who said there were no fewer than 650,000 hectares of irrigable land for the production of wheat in the country, expressed regret that not up to 85, 000 hectares were being put to productive use.
He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to take proactive measures if it was to sustain wheat production and cut the cost of importing the commodity. (NAN)