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1104439 topics. Date: Sunday,
20 January 2013 at 11:26 PM
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No Going Back On Cell Phones
For Farmers – Minister - Politics
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No Going Back On Cell Phones
For Farmers – Minister by
truth4meal(m): 6:47am On
Jan 15
ABUJA—Despite criticisms that
have trailed the proposed
purchase of cell phones for
farmers in the country, the
Minister of Agriculture, Dr
Akinwunmi Adeshina,
yesterday reiterated that there
was no going back on the
policy as government was
committed to enhancing the
performance of Nigerian
farmers.
Addressing newsmen, the
minister said government
would not commit itself to
direct purchase of the cell
phones for farmers but would
only subsidise the phones
through a partnership that
would involve telephone
service operators, Ministry of
Communications Technology
and other stakeholders.
According to him, the decision
by government to subsidise
the purchase of cell phones
for farmers is tied to the
distribution of fertilizers
directly to the farmers without
the involvement of third
parties who had allegedly
been ripping them off.
He said: “Government policy
must always be based on
evidence and well analyzed
data. We carried out an
analysis of our GES work
based on a large sample of
426,000 farmers from various
local government areas in 13
states.
“We found that 71 percent of
farmers sampled did not have
cell phones. This shows that
many of our farmers in rural
areas are quite poor and are
excluded from the benefits of
the mobile phone revolution
going on in Nigeria.
“These farmers cannot access
the GES scheme without
cellphones and we must find a
way to include them. They
must not be left behind.”
The minister said the ministry
planned to make phones
available to farmers on a
gradual basis, pointing out
that government would not be
involved in direct purchase of
phones.
“Of course, we cannot get 10
million phones to all farmers
who do not have phones this
year. Our plan is a gradual
scale up. We intend to get
about 2 million phones to
farmers who do not have
phones this year”.
“How will these phones be
paid for and how will they be
distributed? We ended four
decades of corruption in the
fertilizer and seed sector by
ending direct procurement
and distribution of these
inputs by the government.
“We also ended the ineffective
and corrupt direct
procurement and distribution
of tractors by government. It
will therefore be inconsistent
for government to now start
direct procurement and
distribution of phones.
“There will be no direct
procurement of phones by the
Federal Government. We are
also not going to give anyone
contracts to import phones
from China or anywhere else.
Let me also state loud and
clear.
“The Ministry of Agriculture
and Ministry of
Communications Technology
are partnering together to
implement this policy,” he
emphasised.
On who will be eligible to
benefit from the scheme, the
minister said “we intend to
use the GES scheme to
distribute these phones. To be
entitled to a phone, farmers
must be registered on the e-
wallet platform. Paper
vouchers will be issued to
farmers who do not have
phones.
“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. The
government simply subsidizes
the cost of the phone directly
to the farmer.
“We intend to start by first
targeting farmers who live in
areas where there is network
coverage already but who do
not have phones. We will then
encourage phone companies
to increase their coverage and
as they do we will target
farmers in those areas.
“By so doing phone
companies will have the
incentive to expand to rural
areas because our programme
will assure them of customers
in those new areas. Cell
phones in the hands of our
farmers will do more than
deliver government subsidized
inputs.
“It will provide them access to
market price information. They
will be able to bargain better
and save themselves from the
middlemen who currently
exploit them by paying them
very low prices for their
produce.
“Cellphones in the hands of
our farmers will allow us to
reach farmers with extension
information such as what
crops to plant, when to plant
and other agronomic practices
that will help them improve
their productivity.
“It will allow farmers to better
deal with shocks such as
drought and floods in real
time. Simple alerts to farmers’
phones can help them avoid
catastrophes while saving
lives.
“Majority of our farmers are
excluded from financial
services. 78.8 percent of
Nigeria’s rural population are
unbanked according to the
report by Enhancing Financial
Innovation and Access, EFInA.
The cost of reaching them in
rural areas is high for financial
institutions.
“No bank can afford to build
branches in every little village.
Cellphones provide financial
institutions with a low cost
and efficient way of providing
financial services to our
farmers. The use of cellphones
to provide financial services in
rural areas is not new. It is
already being used in several
African countries.”
Dr Akinwunmi reiterated that
despite the criticism, he would
not be deterred in his
determination to change the
agricultural sector, noting that
“as Minister, I cannot use hype
to guide policies. I must use
evidence to guide policies.
When the floods occurred,
there was panic in the land.
Some derided our efforts and
said Nigeria would have
famine; that there would be
massive food shortage; and
there would be food riots.
Those who wanted to import
food and get waivers from
government sponsored such
media hypes. I was not moved.
“We used modern technology
to guide our decision. Using
remote sensing and satellite
imagery, we mapped out the
extent of the flood and
determined that no more than
1.17 percent of our total
cultivated area was affected by
the floods. Our detractors
wanted the world to believe
the opposite, that food crisis
was imminent. They were
wrong. Today, five months
after the floods, we do not
have a food crisis.
“The same way these
detractors have misled the
public about the relevance of
cellphones in Nigerian
agriculture. They do not know
that we are already using
cellphones to distribute
fertilizer and seeds to even
mitigate the impact of the
flood. We are already using
cellphones to reach 232,000
farmers for rice production in
the dry season, each getting
three bags, across 10 states of
the north east, north west and
north central regions.
To reach farmers affected by
the flood, we are also using
cellphones through the
growth enhancement support.
We are reaching 98,000
farmers affected by floods
across the country with two
bags of fertilizers per farmer,
plus one bag of agrolyser
micronutrient to replace some
of the soil micronutrients that
have been washed away by
the flood. Such is the power of
cellphones revolutionizing
agriculture today in Nigeria.
“I will not be distracted. We
will rebuild the broken walls of
Nigeria’s agriculture and
unlock wealth and
opportunities for our farmers.
For those calling for my
crucifixion, let me say that
when Jesus was before Pilate,
they had accused him falsely.
Pilate, after listening to his
case, found no cause for
condemning him. Nonetheless,
should anyone still want me
crucified, let me say this, along
my faith: “I am crucified with
Christ already. Nevertheless, I
live and the life that I live, I live
by the grace of the son of God,
who died for me,” he said.
(Quote) (Report) (Like)
This post has been hidden
Re: No Going Back On Cell
Phones For Farmers –
Minister by warrior01:
7:17am On Jan 15
I can only say God bless this
honorable minister; he is the
best so far and the revolution
going on in the agricultural
sector is something we should
all be proud of.
(Quote) (Report) 2 Likes (Like)
Re: No Going Back On Cell
Phones For Farmers –
Minister by Wendyslim(f):
8:25am On Jan 15
We don hear, there are many
pressing issues which need to
be attended to .
(Quote) (Report) (Like)
Re: No Going Back On Cell
Phones For Farmers –
Minister by jude33084(m):
8:26am On Jan 15
warrior01: I can only say
God bless this honorable
minister; he is the best so
far and the revolution
going on in the agricultural
sector is something we
should all be proud of.
Revolution like buying phones
for farmers to farm with?
(Quote) (Report) 2 Likes (Like)
Re: No Going Back On Cell
Phones For Farmers –
Minister by kunlekunle:
8:27am On Jan 15
the minister don hammer be
that
100$ by 2m farmers,
i hail thee.
(Quote) (Report) (Like)
Re: No Going Back On Cell
Phones For Farmers –
Minister by barackosama(m):
8:29am On Jan 15
truth4meal: ABUJA—
Despite criticisms that have
trailed the proposed
purchase of cell phones for
farmers in the country, the
Minister of Agriculture, Dr
Akinwunmi Adeshina,
yesterday reiterated that
there was no going back on
the policy as government
was committed to
enhancing the performance
of Nigerian farmers.
Addressing newsmen, the
minister said government
would not commit itself to
direct purchase of the cell
phones for farmers but
would only subsidise the
phones through a
partnership that would
involve telephone service
operators, Ministry of
C