FMAN donates plantable seeds to farmers

As part of efforts to support accelerated local production of wheat, Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN) has donated 2,000 units of plantable seeds in 50kg bags for distribution to farmers in wheat producing states of Nigeria.

According to FMAN, the donation is the first part of the association’s two-phase support programme to wheat farmers. Under the second phase, FMAN said it has placed firm overseas orders for some multi-crop threshers which will be distributed to farmers in February 2018, for use by farmers at the beginning of the next harvest season.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony to the Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) in Kano, Chairman of FMAN, John Coumantaros, said the association was in the forefront of championing the production of wheat in Nigeria.

He recalled that under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between FMAN and WFAN, signed in the office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development last year, the flour millers had given an undertaking to purchase all the available wheat grains that meet specifications set out in the MoU.

This had continued for two seasons and was expected to continue in the coming season.
Coumantaros noted that the presentation was a follow-up to a similar action which took place in Kano in November last year.

According to him, as a good corporate citizen and in demonstration of its great support to wheat farmers, FMAN donated 2,500 units of 3-inch water pumps and 2,500 units of plantable seeds in 50kg bags with total financial outlay of N150 million were presented at the occasion.

The chairman also stated that FMAN had released a research and development grant of N20 million to Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) in September 2016, to enable the Institute conduct research into improved wheat farming, wheat technology and modern agronomy practices.

Coumantaros said the role of the association was to complement government’s efforts, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP) which is aimed at transforming how the financing of small holder agriculture is addressed.

In his remarks, National President of WFAN, Alhaji Salim Saleh Muhammad, identified the event as a milestone in the journey the two associations had embarked upon towards the promotion and sustainable development of Nigeria’s wheat value chain.

He appreciated FMAN for the kind gesture which had become regular and consistent. He charged wheat farmers to make the best use of the seeds, work harder and produce greater volume of wheat for flour millers to take off.

FMAN believes that its actions would strengthen and improve the collaboration and co-operation between wheat farmers and flour millers to attain a common goal accelerated wheat production in Nigeria in total alignment with government policy to achieve food sufficiency and security, create jobs and reduce dependence on importation and save foreign exchange.