The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Akinwumi Adesina, says the World Bank will support the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government with a 500 million dollar grant.


He disclosed this in Abuja on Friday while addressing newsmen on the outcome of the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme.

The GES programme is a Federal Government’s initiative aimed at subsidising the cost of major agricultural inputs such as fertiliser and seeds.

Under the initiative the direct procurement and distribution of farm inputs to farmers is discontinued and supplies are expected to be done through an electronic distribution channel known as the e-wallet.


The e-wallet scheme stipulates that farmers registered under the GES are expected to pay 50 per cent of the cost inputs, while the Federal and State Governments pay 25 per cent each.

He said: “the grant will cover the areas of the priority value chains. Mr President has said that we must be self-sufficient in rice production by the year 2015.

“So rice is the most important commodity that we are working on, World Bank agreed with us on that and they will be providing significant amount of support to us.

“I had earlier met with the World Bank delegation from Washington DC, led by Dr Jamal Tajir, the Director, Sustainable and Development Department of the bank to discuss about the grant.’’

He pointed out that the grant was as result of the five missions the World Bank sent to the country earlier in the year.
Adesina said the bank would also provide support for the cassava value chain programme, explaining that he had discussed in details with the delegation about the cassava value chain.

“The decision to use cassava to replace some of the wheat flour we are importing is not a political decision. It is an economic decision.

“Economic in the sense that Nigeria spend N635 billion every year importing wheat. ’’

According to him, there is need for the country to diversify its economy, create jobs and add value to its produces.

The minister also said that he discussed with the delegation what the ministry was doing about maximising cocoa production.

He expressed optimism that the country could beat countries like Ivory Coast, Brazil and Cameroun in the production of cocoa.

Adesina said that the country had the variety that gives five times the yield of cocoa.

He said that was why the Federal Government directed the ministry to distribute the cocoa hybrid to farmers for free because most cocoa plantations in the country were old.

Nwa_Nimo: . . . GM seeds are not what we need.

Anything the world bank offers should be automatically rejected.

Genetically Modified foods will 'Genetically Modify' our DNA.

And 'patented seeds' will end up putting the farmer into servitude - because they'll be foced to pay even when they replant seeds from the crops they produce.

billante:

Mr I too know will shut d Bleep up and gerrout!

You are seeing a transformation going on in d agric sector and you are there talking wat u know nothing about!

billante:

Mr I too know will shut d Bleep up and gerrout!

You are seeing a transformation going on in d agric sector and you are there talking wat u know nothing about!

cardoso111: In developped nations,GM foods and seeds are labelled for buyers to make a choice.What gain is it if a country lost her genetic bank? In the name of grant.Slavery in the guise of grant is coming! Poverty sometimes blinds the eye but the truth must be told. Our leaders know the truth and may we always stand by the truth!GM technology enslaves and destroys. I am speaking from a background of over twelve years in international agriculture

Billyonaire: No more loans please. World bank should help Greece and Italy.

Sun of god:


Lol - The World Bank / IMF / ECB have been helping greece - and they are now slaves to them.

Please, let the world bank go help America with there $17 Trillion + in debts.

ayo84: Soon you will realise that the bitter leave soup, you took everytime you had fever and made you well, will no longer have the potency to heal you again.all because of world bank, gmo seeds, useles fertilizers etc. I can't wait to own my own farm and produce everything on my own, no gmo seeds, no fertilisers, no pesticides, all natural farm practices and a healthier me.

cycober: I don't know why, but i just feel uncomfortable with anything world bank/ IMF related. These people have a track record of distabilizing/ruining whole countries. I recently watched a documentary about how IMF/worldbank destroyed argentina's economy in the 1990's, and i am sure they had a hand in IBB's structural adjustment programme (that's when nigeria's economy took a nose dive), and recently they decieved GEJ into removing fuel subsidy, knowing fully well that it will only raise inflation and destroy the economy. And to tell you how mischevious they are, they always target the sector that will hit the poor hard, such as agriculture, fuel prices e.t.c Here's what i don't get, they can make money and profit through legitimate and positive policies and even help poor countries, but why do they always choose destructive policies and policies that will ruin other countries's economy?

Sun of god:


Lol - The World Bank / IMF / ECB have been helping greece - and they are now slaves to them.

Please, let the world bank go help America with there $17 Trillion + in debts.