NIRSAL partners US Group on agric investments in rural areas

In a bid to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers, who constitute 75 per cent of the country’s farming population, Nigeria Incentive Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has signed a partnership agreement with the ACDI/VOCA, US-based economic development organisation, to encourage investments in agriculture in local communities.

The pilot project is expected to produce 80,000 tonnes of maize, rice and soybeans, create 22,000 new jobs across the value chains and ensure individual farmer income of N1,000,000 per year for beneficiaries.

Speaking on the agrrement, Mr. Abdulhameed, Managing Director of NIRSAL, said “I am pleased to partner with ACDI/VOCA on this project. NIRSAL will provide the leadership to start the process and make it a reality for the benefit of our local farmers. As the producers of the food that the nation feeds on, they deserve strong support and should also get decent reward for their produce.

“It is my expectation that this partnership will make significant contribution to other efforts that we are currently pursuing in this direction,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr. Olaf Kula, Senior Agribusiness Advisor and Country Rep of ACDI/VOCA, said “If you can’t make money from a farm there’s little incentive for youth to venture into agriculture. We’re not going to be able to feed the globe if young people are fleeing from the rural centres to the cities.”

 As a first step, NIRSAL and ACDI/VOCA hosted a workshop on building practical synergies for inclusive agricultural development in rural communities drew participants from different aspects of the agricultural value chain.

 The workshop had in attendance participants from the John Deere, Hello Tractor, Center for Dryland Agriculture at the Bayero University Kano (BUK); Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU), Syngenta Limited and Traxi Continental Limited.


Others are Tohfan, Naston Engr. Limited, Dupont Pioneer, Trade Co., Olam, FCMB, Valmont USA, Premier Seeds and Narto Engr Nigeria Limited.

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