Justifying its position, the Federal Government maintained that whether small, medium or large farmers, they all need information and communication systems...

The minister cited the procurement and distribution of subsidized fertilizers in the past arguing that people took advantage of the situation, and at the end, less than 11 percent farmers got the fertilizers.

He said: “Some of the fertilizers paid for by government were never delivered to the warehouses.Some of the fertilizers delivered contained more sand than fertilizers while a large portion of the fertilizers subsidized by government found its way across our borders to neighboring countries where it was sold at prevailing market prices. Middle men and rent seekers were the ones benefiting from the billions of naira spent every year on fertilizer subsidies.

The same applied to the seed sector.”
The Minister stated that with clear support from President Jonathan, he was able to nip the trend in the bud within 90 days of assumption of office through the introduction of Growth Enhancement Support, GES, which delivers inputs to farmers directly by using farmers’ cellphones.

“We created an electronic platform (e-wallet) on which we registered farmers and agro-dealers who own shops that sell farm inputs allover the country. To date we have registered 4.2 million farmers and about 900 agro-dealers. We developed the first ever registered data base of farmers in Nigeria, which we will upgrade every year.
For the first time ever, we can now base policy decisions on data, not guess work.”

“Registered farmers are sent electronic vouchers directly from the federal governmentto their cell phones. This voucher or e-wallet informs the farmer that he or she is entitled to buy two 50kg bags of fertilizer at 50% of the purchase price. The voucher essentially serves as cash on their phones and this cash covers 50% of the market price of the fertilizer. The farmer therefore pays only 50% of the cost of the fertilizer to the fertilizer retailer.

Fertilizer and seed retailers no longer supply seeds and fertilizers directly to government. They now sell directly to farmers. Government helps the farmer to buy inputs by providing direct support through their cellphones (e-wallet).”

Dr Adesina maintained that plans are underway to use the GES scheme to help farmers access tractor hiring services, adding that instead of government procuring tractors for farmers, government will encourage the private sector to establish tractor hiring centers so that farmers can hire tractors from these centers with government subsidizing the cost of hiringtractors through the e-wallet using farmers’ cellphones.

That brings the questions: “Why cellphones for farmers?” “Will the fertilizers and seeds be attached to thecellphones?” “Will tractors beattached to the cellphones”? Dr Adesina stated that going by previous experience and the achievement recorded in the area of fertilizer and tractor sectors, ”Yes!” It is actually the cell phone that has provided us with the tool to directly access each farmer thereby saving them from corrupt middlemen who make their fortune fromexploiting the poor.”

He added that “from the data we collected based on farmers’ use of cellphones to access fertilizers and seeds last year, we found that the total number of transactions done through phones with respect to the GES scheme was 4.9 million. Of these, 1.2 million were in English, 620,000 were in Pidgin, 2.2 million were in Hausa, and 854,000 were in Yoruba and 344 were in Igbo, arguing that the rural farmers are already using the cellphones to transact their businesses.

The government will provide a subsidy to the farmer through the voucher to buy the phone. The farmer takes the voucher to the local mobile phone operator and pays the balance which is the difference between the value of the voucher and the cost of the phone.
Once a farmer buys a phone and a SIM card, his new phone number will be updated on the e-wallet database and he will be able to receive his e-wallet voucher which will entitle him to purchase fertilizer and seeds at subsidized rates. Phones will be sold directly to farmers by local mobile phone service providers.

“Weare already using cellphones to reach 232,000 farmers forrice production in the dry season, each getting 3 bags, across 10 states of the north east, northwest and north central regions.

We are reaching 98,000 farmers affected by floods across the country with 2 bags of fertilizers per farmer, plus one bag of agrolyser micro-nutrient to replace some of the soil micro-nutrients that have been washed away by the flood. Such is the power of cellphones revolutionizing agriculture today in Nigeria,”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/cellphones-were-already-using-it-to-reach-232000-farmers-agric-minister/

Who can do agric better than Akinwumi Adeshina? Who can play football better than Barca's Merci? I challenge CPC/ACN to nominate their potential agric minister? Is it Lai Muhammed?
Lol...

Nonsense......

Only a shameless sycophant will be rejoicing over such thrash!!!

www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/cellphones-to-farmers-its-a-misplaced-priority-farmers/

Cellphones to farmers: It’s a misplaced priority – Farmers



January 26, 2013 | 2:59 am

Special Report

By  Ishola Balogun & Ebun Sessou
Prince Wale Oyekoya, the President of Farmers Association of Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, opines that buying cellphones  for Nigerian farmers is a not only a misplaced priority but another huge waste of  resources.Oyekoya while speaking with Saturday Vanguard in his office on the issue stated that although cellphone was important to farmers, it is  not to the level the federal government had taken it, adding that it could be another way of siphoning money.

He stated that the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI had indicated interest  to partner with the federal government on its policies mainly because the farmers had since found out that most of government’s policies are inconsistent with the needs of the farmers and are directed to the ‘portfolio farmers.  “LCCI intends to partner with the government in order to be able  identify the real farmers. Government has been dealing with portfolio and political farmers in the past.” he said.

“The Minister claimed that  70 percent of rural farmers are without phones, I don’t know how he got  this figure. There are about one hundred million phones in circulation as we speak. Nigerian farmers are all rural farmers which means, cellphone is not their priority because they can afford it.

“Therefore, there is need for federal government to partner with the private sectors and non-government organisations including the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI who know the real farmers. When I contacted some of the farmers in Lagos, Ogun, Osun States, they don’t seem to know what the government is doing.”

He added that government policies like the fertilizers and intervention fund have not gotten to the real farmers but have been hijacked by cronies and politicians.

“Most of the funds allocated to farmers have been going to the wrong hands and that is why agriculture sector is suffering  in this country.  A nation that cannot feed itself  is doomed.”



Prince Wale Oyekoya,

He suggested that instead of cellphones, the N60billion should be diverted to bank of agriculture.  “Government should revive Agriculture  bank and work out modalities where evidence of owning farmlands will be the basis for accessing the funds. Just like the N200 billion intervention fund which was called Commercial Agricultural Credit scheme, CAT, of  the government which we  have requested of them to give a  record of those who benefited from the policy.”

He stated that recently some farmers had to close shops for lack of enabling environment to produce food for the nation.  “Presently, half of the farmers in the country are already folding up. There are about 24 farmers in my region that are no more in operation. Their complaints were that there are no adequate funding.  An individual  cannot  access agriculture loan from the bank.” He  added  that most farm-lands in the State do not have good road networks, electricity supply to work while others complained of lack of loan assistance.

He advised that instead of buying cellphones, government should concentrate on procuring equipment and make available funds as working capital.

Oyekoya disclosed that about 10,000 farmers are registered in Lagos under the Ministry of Agriculture.   “they gave us a data showing about 10,000 farmers but I don’t believe it. They are only interested in data that does not exist in order to siphon money from the Ministry, Federal government and World Bank.

“The state government has its own scheme which is called land Agric settlement. They planted their cronies there. The lands are allocated to political leaders whereas a plot of land is sold at the sum of N1.8million to real farmers at Ikorodu. The State does not believe in helping the real farmers. So, these are creating unfriendly environment for the farmers.

“There are about 25 farmers at Epe axis and the State government is planning to displace them. They are suddenly planning to use the place for airport.   You see, that is why the  country is in trouble because so many things are going wrong,” he stressed.

“I recall  that some officials of federal government visited my farmland sometime ago and dug 25 waterholes for irrigation but up till moment, they failed to provide pumping machines, and I know some  persons would have pocketed the money meant for it.”

On what the farmers in Lagos state are contributing in feeding the nation, Oyekoya said: “We are not producing much in crops. The State government is producing about 50 tonnes of rice,” disclosing that the federal government was planning to import about 100 milling machines for rice for farmers which also will not encourage local production.

Lookman Ismail of Frank Farms, Papalanto, Ogun state said: “What is the definition of rural farmer, is there anybody that is an urban farmer? I have a farm in Papalanto, Ogun state, that is a rural area. I don’t see any sincerity in this move. It is a question of who is fooling who. Is it telephone we need right now? The farmers cannot get their produce to the city because of bad roads, we can’t get electricity, we can’t get water from government. I had to spend as much as N2million to bring electricity to my farm. And about  the same amount for boreholes. These are things that  are important to farmers. There is no enabling environment that will make people go into agriculture.



Abiodun Oladapo

How much is a Nokia phone that the government feels it is the  need of farmers. As we speak, if you go into any village, not less than 60 per cent of the villagers have phones. So, what are we buying for N60billion.

He cited the government agric intervention loan as a failed policy which he said could not get to the real farmers. “I have not seen one real farmer who was able to access that loan. As a farmer who also works in a bank, I could not get access to that loan. You will have to have a collateral in a choicest area, they will tell you my farm is not good as a collateral because it is in a rural area. So, the loans probably went to the wrong hands and the government is  not bothered about who gets the loan.

“They should make tractors available and supply electricity to the villages where most of these farms are located, they should also concentrate on building roads that will make farm produce get to the cities quickly,” he added.

He added that he could not access  the loan as the banks were demanding property in a choicest place as collateral.  “They only gave the loans to portfolios farmers who only have to present a certificate of incorporation to get the loan.

“The initiative is a sham, if they want to keep money for the boys, they should find other ways of doing that and not in the name of agriculture.”

Abiodun Oladapo, owner of Ope-Olu farms in Oshogbo, Osun State opined that government should look mor into financing agriculture.  All over the world, there is nowhere agriculture survive without government playing a major role. For example, in US, the level of intervention is high in the form of subsidy.  They spend a huge amount of money to support the move towards food security.



Segun Collins

“What farmers need most is a  working capital at low interest rate.   Subsidizing only oil does not totally impact on the common man.  I don’t see any farmer who will get a loan at 25 -28 percent interest rate and be able to repay under this condition we operate.  That is why the cost of foods are on the increase and except something is done for the farmers in this regard, the disaster of food insecurity  is not too far.”

Even as government recently said no going back on the policy, Oladapo said government did not consider the poor network facilities of telecoms provider in the rural areas which will impede the optimum utility of this cell phone idea. “how effective is the network of these telecoms provider in the rural areas.  Have they carried out the survey as well or they will leave them with the syndrome of ‘No Network’? Are they going to provide the air time as well? So, the challenges are far more than what they think it will solve.”

In the same vein, Segun Collins, who just began cultivating a 60 hectares of land in Ofada, Ogun state, corroborated his colleague saying provision of cellphones falls short of the needs of the farmers in the country.   “In whatever guise government is pushing this idea, what the farmers need now is funding and not cellphones.  Government should ensure that farmer have funds to run their farmer effectively to have food sufficiency. Farm implements should be heavily subsidized and that will help farmers a lot than the cell phones to farmers.  The system government is running is like what is obtained in Mambilla Plateau where few people run the show and benefit from the largesse.  So, I don’t see any sincerity in this N60billion provision of cellphones.”

On the argument that government needs to know even those who will benefit from the fund, he stated that the  environment have been politicized.  “Government does not even know the real practicing farmers because of politics.  I know some of my friends who were affected by the flood in Kogi, yet, they could not get the flood disaster relief fund.  Three of them are presently seeking refuge in Lagos. They don’t have anything again.  So what is the hue and cry about all these when these money ends in the pocket of their cronies. Government should allow the commercial banks to give loans to the farmers on a very low interest rate.

Two contradicting reports here, only God knows who's right.

i still dont get it.

Sincere 9gerian: Who can do agric better than Akinwumi Adeshina? Who can play football better than Barca's Merci? I challenge CPC/ACN to nominate their potential agric minister? Is it Lai Muhammed?
Lol...

Akinwumi Adeshina should be sacked and GEJ should resign for appointing such a nonentity to his cabinet.

Prof Corruption:

Akinwumi Adeshina should be sacked and GEJ should resign for appointing such a nonentity to his cabinet.

Then after his sack ,you all will now shower encomiums on him questioning why such a performing minister was discarded.

Prof Barth Nnaji anyone....... The erratic nature of Nigerians

jmaine:

Then after his sack ,you all will now shower encomiums on him questioning why such a performing minister was discarded.

Prof Barth Nnaji anyone....... The erratic nature of Nigerians

Nnaji should be prosecuted for attempting to sell "Nigeria" to himself. Quote me anywhere, he is a fraud.

Improvement in power supply has nothing to do with thieving policies of Nnaji. There is power generation and then distribution before you can enjoy any investment in power. In other words, if there is no completion of power projects and then get them connected to national grid, there is no net improvement.

What happened? Obasanjo invested huge amount of money in power sector. Instead of continuing with the project, Yar'Adua embarked on vilification campaign. He revoked sales of refineries, of Ajaokuta and canceled contracts on rail projects. Then came probes after probes of the power sector which in any case stalled the projects. When GEJ ascended the throne, he merely continued with the projects. The power turbines are now being completed and then being added to national grid. That explains the improvement in power. it could have happened with anyone manning the post. It has nothing to do with Nnaji. Tell me the exact policies initiated or formulated by Nnaji that resulted in improvement of our power situation?

Multiple post

Multiple post

Prof Corruption:

Nnaji should be prosecuted for attempting to sell "Nigeria" to himself. Quote me anywhere, he is a fraud.

Improvement in power supply has nothing to do with thieving policies of Nnaji. There is power generation and then distribution before you can enjoy any investment in power. In other words, if there is no completion of power projects and then get them connected to national grid, there is no net improvement.

What happened? Obasanjo invested huge amount of money in power sector. Instead of continuing with the project, Yar'Adua embarked on vilification campaign. He revoked sales of refineries, of Ajaokuta and canceled contracts on rail projects. Then came probes after probes of the power sector which in any case stalled the projects. When GEJ ascended the throne, he merely continued with the projects. The power turbines are now being completed and then being added to national grid. That explains the improvement in power. it could have happened with anyone manning the post. It has nothing to do with Nnaji. Tell me the exact policies initiated or formulated by Nnaji that resulted in improvement of our power situation?

Most peeps including me will disagree with you on the professionalism of Barth Nnaji while handling the Power port folio as a minister

Judiciously following and implementing already laid out blue print shouldn't be watered down on the alter of been trivial . .

Nigeria has never lacked good policies, but the implementation phase has been our major challenge.

The large pile of abandoned projects doting the Country landscape were potential quality projects; but were jettisoned by successful admins who felt having their own fresh idea should be premium , rather than continuing and implementing already laid out designs irrespective of what amount was already plunged into it..That has always been a bane in our developmental strides. .

Going by your logic, anyone can have a blue print but implementation matters a lot.If Prof Barth was an advocate of following a well thought out plan, then I believe he did appreciably well than go down the route of starting afresh what wasn't really necessary.....

His lil conflicting act with his position was the only part of him that felt sour. But His quality and delivery was never in doubt. .

GARRI (x7):
Nonsense......

Only a shameless sycophant will be rejoicing over such thrash!!!

www.vanguardngr.com/2013/01/cellphones-to-farmers-its-a-misplaced-priority-farmers/

"Nigerian farmers are all rural farmers which means, cellphone is not their priority because they can afford it"...Prince Wale Oyekoya, the President of Farmers Association of Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI

How can you justify the statement above with the world bank data that shows over 60% of Nigerians live on less than $1 per day? How can those who live on less than $1 per day suddenly be able to afford mobile phones?

What I observed in this country is that data means nothing in terms of planning and policy direction to many people. On the one hand the critics quote data showing how poor Nigerians are and how many people are unable to feed, on another they tell us most rural farmers can afford mobile phones. Which do we believe now?

The truth is that MAJORITY of our farmers live in rural areas and are poor. The medium and mega farmers, like OBJ are in the minority. The policies of the current agric minister is targetted at the majority rural poor farmers. The 2 or 3 bags of subsidized fertilizer for instance means alot to a rural poor farmer but insignificant to the medium and large scale farmers.

The report you quoted is FATALLY flawed because it only interviewed the big farmers. Yes the farmers, both big and small, should be provided with very low interest credit. Govt at state and federal level, has always done that but they can do more. But even when such facilities are provided, it usually favours mostly the big farmers, leaving the poor, who supplies most of what you and I eat, in the cold.

Even some of those interviewed in that report, who claim to head one association of farmers or the other with their usual sweet talk of being able 'help' govt to locate 'real' farmers, were the same persons who hijacked the fertilizer distribution system in the past, denying the real farmers assess to fertilizer.

Therefore, the phone for farmers initiative is laudable as it will help the govt deal DIRECTLY with rural farmers- whether in terms of distribution of fertilizers, seeds, farm implements, tractors services,etc

I would rather use technology to distribute govt financial assistance in this country than depend on unscrupulous elements in the society, who claim they can 'help' govt locate 'real' farmers.

Sincere 9gerian:

"Nigerian farmers are all rural farmers which means, cellphone is not their priority because they can afford it"...Prince Wale Oyekoya, the President of Farmers Association of Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI

How can you justify the statement above with the world bank data that shows over 60% of Nigerians live on less than $1 per day? How can those who live on less than $1 per day suddenly be able to afford mobile phones?

Most of them already have cell-phones. Cellphones are very cheap, even Abokis who sell suya, repair shoes, mend clothes etc have cellphones.

I served in a village in Oyo State in 2009/2010 and I can tell you that even most of the children in the village (who are dependent) have cellphones.

I have no issue with Govt. Dealing directly with rural farmers, its actually a great strategy. The issue is that spending 60 billion on something most of them already have is unnecessary and wasteful.

Sincere 9gerian:

"Nigerian farmers are all rural farmers which means, cellphone is not their priority because they can afford it"...Prince Wale Oyekoya, the President of Farmers Association of Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI

How can you justify the statement above with the world bank data that shows over 60% of Nigerians live on less than $1 per day? How can those who live on less than $1 per day suddenly be able to afford mobile phones?

Those your farmers that live on less than $1 per day are peasants and they do not need a cell phone. They farm at a self subsistence level and thus their immediate need to move out of that stage will not be a cell phone. They will probably need more land, fertilizer, better transport for their produce before you talk of cell phones.

If the main aim of a cell phones is to improve the value chain by providing logistic support, then it means the farmers that require this are high producing farmers and they will be able to easily afford a cell phone.

In all, it is not a priority, it is a waste, farmers need better things to improve the value chain and a cell phone is not a priority.

I still dont understand the benefit of giving farmers cell phones instead of hoes.

GARRI (x7):


Most of them already have cell-phones. Cellphones are very cheap, even Abokis who sell suya, repair shoes, mend clothes etc have cellphones.

I served in a village in Oyo State in 2009/2010 and I can tell you that even most of the children in the village (who are dependent) have cellphones.

I have no issue with Govt. Dealing directly with rural farmers, its actually a great strategy. The issue is that spending 60 billion on something most of them already have is unnecessary and wasteful.

The minister, who has the final say on this matter, said they'r not spending N60billion on mobile phone. I assume you'r not deaf, blind and dumb. It's written in the report in black and white. If dont believe the minister but would rather rely on your imagination, thats your business.

ballabriggs:

Those your farmers that live on less than $1 per day are peasants and they do not need a cell phone. They farm at a self subsistence level and thus their immediate need to move out of that stage will not be a cell phone. They will probably need more land, fertilizer, better transport for their produce before you talk of cell phones.

If the main aim of a cell phones is to improve the value chain by providing logistic support, then it means the farmers that require this are high producing farmers and they will be able to easily afford a cell phone.

In all, it is not a priority, it is a waste, farmers need better things to improve the value chain and a cell phone is not a priority.

You wrote "they (farmers) will probably need more land, fertilizer, better transport for their produce before you talk of cell phones"

I agree with you but the issue is HOW do you get some of those things across to the real farmers without corruption or middle men? How does the FG supply real farmers with fertilizers and other farm inputs directly and devoid of corruption(middle men)? This is the cruz of the matter.

The old system of govt awarding contracts for procurement of fertilizers was found to be riddled with corruption similar to the fuel subsidy saga. In the heat of the fuel subsidy saga, some mischief makers called for crucifixion of the president at Tinubu square. Therefore Mr president and his team are taking proactive steps to curb corruption in the fertilizer distribution system before another scandal erupts from that sector.

Consequently, the cellphone was seen as a simple way to electronically deliver fertilizers and other farm inputs DIRECTLY to farmers. The cellphones PREVENTS corruption (this should excite REAL anti-corruption activists) in the system and ensures the intended purpose of the policy is achieved.

If you still dont understand the need for cellphones, then you may wish to seek medical help