From Umar Dankano, Yola
An International Non Governmental Organisation,OXFAM in collaboration with CRUDAN and Development Exchange Centre (DEC) have organised a 2-day multi-stakeholders dialogue workshop for promotion of sustainable access to Agricultural inputs for smallholder farmers in Adamawa state.
Delivering his welcome address at the commencement of the training workshop in Yola Wednesday,Team lead of OXFAM, Mr. Abazie Johnbosco said the training was aimed at facilitating the development of a strategic private sector led-Agricultural support scheme that promotes sustainable access to agricultural inputs for smallholder farmers in Adamawa and Kebbi states.
Johnbosco assert that the support is to strengthen commodity market systems to work for the benefit of rural poor and to jointly create a market system (business) model which can be piloted towards addressing the distortions and constraints within the Agricultural input market system in the two (2) states.
Johnbosco stated in an attempt to contribute in proffering solutions to the challenge invited 55 critical stakeholders particularly market actors including private sector players, retailers, financial institutions, distributors, farmers, and government officials to validate the report of the fertilizer retail market system analysis conducted in Adamawa and Kebbi states.
He told the participants that the training is a ‘co-creation’ or ‘interactive’ in nature where various professional experiences and ideas would be collected and use in offering workable solutions so that production and marketing of the product (fertilizer) can be make easier to farmers.
He urged all in attendance to contribute meaningfully noting that stakeholders were drawn from financial institutions, Agro-input manufacturers and Blenders groups, Farmers from the grassroots as well as government relevant representatives.
In his remarks, Livelihood Influencing Program Officer, CRUDAN, Mohammed Abdulrahaman Jada said OXFAM and its partners have worked closely with stakeholders and citizens groups across Adamawa and Kebbi states while improving the food security and resilience of over 60,000 vulnerable smallholders farming households with support from European Union (EU) which ended in 2021.
Jada added that the aim of the intervention by PROACT was to facilitate adequate access to quality fertilizer in a timely manner by Smallholder farmers on an affordable price.
Responding on the Intervention training, a participant and Director Food Security, Ministry of Agriculture in the state, Ibrahim Bayeso expressed appreciation to the development partners noting that the complimentary role being offered by OXFAM and CRUDAN will go a long way in changing past narratives.
Bayeso called on the participants and other Nigerians to have an attitudinal change in all negative tendencies which according to him have been a major factor affecting the fertiliser marketing strategies observing that man made atrocities is destroying the sector massively.
Our Correspondent reports that peasant farmers participating in the workshop came from nine (9) local government areas including Maiha, Hong, Song, Gombi, Numan, Fufore, Mayo-belwa, Guyuk and Mubi-South respectively.
