FG Establishes 80 Agro-Input Centres

The Federal Government, under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), has established a network of one-stop-shop agro-input centres to ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of agricultural inputs as well as serve as singular access point for input and market for small scale farmers.

They are meant to ensure access to agricultural inputs such as fertiliser, agro-chemical, quality seeds, livestock feed, veterinary drugs, tractor hire and extension services.

Special Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye, said one of the  centres has been launched at Wushishi, Wushishi LGA, Niger State.

Oyeleye said this is in fulfilment of the recommendation of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), that at least five of such agro-inputs centres be constructed in each state to facilitate adequate food production and food security by the year 2012.

“Going closer to the grassroots, the National Council on Agriculture (NCA), during its last meeting, considered and approved the construction of one agro-inputs centre in each local government area of the federation,” he said , adding; “These centres are, therefore, a medium-scale value chain infrastructure designed and constructed to provide adequate access to affordable agricultural inputs. The objectives are to support organised farmer groups and out-growers network of agro-input dealers that will support the agricultural production capacity of Nigerian rural farmers; provide access to small-scale storage and processing facilities and ultimately to provide access to physical and virtual markets.

“They are to generate additional employment, improve income and increase access to services for wider segment of our rural population engaged in agriculture as a business. Moreover, they are to support the development of our agriculture business by improving the ability of farmers and rural entrepreneur to access inputs and markets as well as stimulate market-oriented private and public investment in rural areas.

“One-stop-shop agro-input centres will enhance value addition by promoting farmers’ access to agricultural inputs at affordable rates; supporting agro-based processing and rural entrepreneurship; strengthening local market organisations and institutions; promoting agricultural service through cooperatives and rural agricultural education; enhancing links between increased productivity, income and food security as a practical way for rural farmers to enter the broader economy and break dependence on seasonality,” he said.

Other benefits of the centres  to Nigerians, according to him, will be the creation of 2,400 direct and 240,000 indirect jobs as a way of generating employment and creating wealth in the rural communities; raising rural income by 100% in the next five years through the development of well functioning markets; increasing agricultural productivity by more than 50% through enhanced farming techniques; enhancing poverty reduction and food security thereby helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Each one-stop-shop agro-input centre will save approximately 70,000 people (or 10,000 farming families).

Dr. Oyeleye added that upon completion, commissioning and proper utilisation, the 80 units of one-stop-shop agro-inputs centres constructed across the federation will be a major milestone in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government.