MAAN to engage 500,000 farmers in maize farming

Maize Association of Nigeria, MAAN, has concluded plans to engage 500,000 farmers in maize cultivation this year across the country.

Its President, Mr. Bello Abubakar-Annur, who disclosed this during the new year celebration in Sokoto, said the move was spurred by success recorded in maize cultivation and the attractive price of the commodity.

He said the move was also aimed at complementing the efforts of the Buhari administration towards creating jobs and attaining food security through agriculture.

According to him, the success recorded in maize cultivation in 2017 and the appreciable price of the commodity is another motivation for practising farmers.

While commending the government for the various schemes introduced to support farmers across the country such as the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP), he identified massive cultivation and harvests of crops in 2017 as a proof of the success of the schemes.

He said “the association has received good reactions from benefiting farmers as inputs valued at about N123, 000 was allocated to farmers per each hectare of land and farmers obtained between 35 to 40 bags on each hectare cultivated. With the present situation, benefiting farmers can pay back loans with between 14 to 15 bags of maize.”

He gave assurance that seeds would be provided to farmers with considerations for the peculiar climatic conditions of all the regions across the country, explaining that guides on inputs application and other farming practices were designed by experts.

However, he said the association would be in partnership with local and foreign firms to provide small-scale machines and other farming inputs at affordable prices.

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