2021 Nigerian Farmers Radio to focus on product-to-region mapping
2021 Nigerian Farmers Radio to focus on product-to-region mapping
By Eloyi Matthew
The 2021 edition of Nigerian Farmers Radio (NFR) to focus on product-to-region mapping, with a value chain focus and access to credit facilities.
The Pan-Nigeria agribusiness-related radio program was an initiative of Sterling Bank which is being broadcast in major Nigerian languages to meet diverse demographic needs.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bank, Abubakar Suleiman, the program was to share the hard work of the Nigerian farmers to ensure that it leads to prosperity and food security.
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He described the program as a vital means of getting and disseminating information from and to farming communities.
Also speaking, the Head of Agric Finance and Solid Minerals at Sterling Bank, Bukola Awosanya disclosed that the program was to help farmers in remote areas to reduce the risk of missing out on emerging opportunities.
She explained that such opportunities include the single-digit interest in Sterling Women and Youths in Agriculture Finance.
She said that initiatives remain imperative because the adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has not only restricted output but people’s access to sufficient and nutritious sources of food.
“It has also slowed down cash flow in the hands of food suppliers and farmers, hindering farmers from returning to farms in due time. For 2021, our approach will be to assess region-specific value chains to maximize impact,” she said.
She added that the value chain focus for the Northeast and Northwest regions will be maize, rice, and sesame while in the southwest will be on Aquaculture, Poultry, Vegetables, and Cassava.
“For North Central, the value chain focus is poultry, soybeans, and cassava while for Southeast and South-South, the value chain focus is aquaculture, palm oil, and cassava,” Awosanya said.
2021 Nigerian Farmers Radio to focus on product-to-region mapping
