FG To Float Agricultural Value-Chains Corporations

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and Market Development Corporations for agricultural value chains in the country are to be established by the federal government.
Making this known to newsmen in Enugu last Monday, the Regional Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Uche Nwafor, said the proposed corporation would be fallout of the success of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the government.
He said the corporation would be private sector driven to promote the various agricultural value chains, adding that the agricultural transformation agenda had boosted Nigeria’s agricultural export and earning as well as created more jobs since 2012. “This will coordinate the entire value chains in Nigeria and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness, while expanding and stabilising income for our farmers”, he said.
Nwafor explained that agricultural export and earnings increased by 821,588 tonnes and N759 billion, respectively with an import reduction of N857 billion in 2012.
The regional director said that no fewer than 2.2 million jobs out of the projected 3.5 million by 2015 has been created since the introduction of the transformation agenda in agriculture
He said the scheme had developed strong value chain for agricultural produce such as cocoa, rice, sorghum, cassava, cotton, oil palm, cattle, poultry, fish, sheep and goat.
“The operations of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, according to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, are based on prioritisation of commodity value-chain along comparative advantage in the zone”, he said.
Nwafor also stated that the cessation of government’s involvement in the procurement, supply and distribution of fertilisers and seeds to farmers had been the fulcrum on which the scheme revolves.