‘Anchor Borrowers Scheme Needs Competent Agro-Businessmen’

Chairman, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Delta State chapter, Mr Justus Kachikwu  says competent agro-businesmen and women are needed to buy cassava produced in the state under Anchor Borrowers Programme.
Kachikwu stated  in an interview with newsmen in Asaba last Sunday that the buyers were necessary for the success of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s anchor programme in the state.
The chairman said that the state needed agro-business men and women that could buy at least 50 tonnes of cassava per day and make full payment to the farmers.
According to him, cassava off takers in the state at present had the capacity of buying only about 20 tonnes of cassava per day for processing.
Kachikwu said that the situation was not good enough for the success of the programme in the state because it would discourage the farmers from planting.
The chairman of the cassava growers’ association lauded the anchor programme which is expected to commence fully at the 2017 farming season.
He  urged the government to facilitate the full participation of the private sector by providing enough incentive and not getting directly involved.
Kachikwu added that the private sector would drive and make it profitable for the participating farmers.
He said that the participating farmers in state were trained in December, 2016 and are waiting for the programme to start.
“The good thing is that the UN is helping out to ensure effective implementation.
“But the anchor off-takers who will buy the produce from the four selected crops – cassava, oil palm, rice and fisheries – are not here in the state,” he added.