RMRDC Lists Gains Of Value Chain Approach

The value chain approach to agricultural development will create more than 300 agricultural and agro-allied businesses, says the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC).

The council’s Director-General, Prof Peter Onwualu, disclosed this while delivering a lecture at the 5th Edition of “The Perspective’’ forum, organised by the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.

The lecture was titled “Agricultural Sector and Natural Development: Focus on Value Chain Approach’’.

Onwualu said that the approach would generating employment, income and foreign exchange earnings.

He said that the Federal Government decided to adopt the Agricultural Value Chain Approach with a view to repositioning the sector and make it a major foreign exchange earner for the country.

“The value chain approah has become an increasingly important framework for examining change in theglobal commodities trade and their implications for primary producers.

“Commodity value chain encompasses the whole lot of activities from production, processing, distribution

and marketing of specific traded commodity.

“It identifies the main stakeholders involved at each stage, including research and development.

“Value chains of selected commodities discussed include oil palm, roots and tubers (cassava), fruits and vegetable, fish and rice.’’

He noted that the approach had worked in countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Honduras, India, Kenya and other countries with similar socio-economic situation as Nigeria.’’

Onwualu, therefore, encouraged rural dwellers and students to organise themselves into clusters and cooperatives and take advantage of the value chain system by engaging in one form of agricultural activity or the other.

He gave the assurance that the Federal Government and the council were committed to assisting those in the

agriculture and agro-allied sector to achieve their dreams.

The director-general, who is also a professor of Agricultural Engineering, said that the council was ready to assist young and inspiring agriculturists with ideas, even as loans, fertilisers, inputs and extension services were being provided at minimal cost.