Foreigners have dominated our poultry farming – Ojo

Managing Director, Adewale Farms and former Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State,  Mr. Wale Ojo, in this interview with, Deputy Editor,  Stanley Ihedigbo, speaks on failure of the government of the day to genuinely supporting farmers, and the taking over of poultry business by foreigners  and other sundry issues. Excerpts:

What has been your  experience as a farmer , looking at the challenging situations in Nigeria?

I can say that, it has been strict, sometimes, not too strict. However, despite the situation in the country, poultry business is booming. The only challenge, we are having in the poultry farming is  lack of  enabling environment. The roads are bad,  poultry feed is expensive and  financial support from government or  financial institutions are not available.

In area of finance, what about all the various funds, Central Bank of Nigeria and other financial institutions are saying that is available to farmers in the country?

I have be in the poultry business for over 20 years. And I can tell you that the present government has not  done much in supporting farmers. Despite their elections  campaign promises , that they will
assist Nigeria farmers.  I am yet to see  anybody or the members of the groups I belong to , who have benefited from any of the government finance support.  Prior to this time, we have benefited from different types of interventions and supporting funds from government through the financial institutions. The support actually got to the farmers and we were able to achieve  a lots without it.  What I can say is that, there are a lots of deception and corruption going on in this government. But, it is unfortunate for government that are saying, they are fighting corruption. If there are funds released from the government to support the agriculture sector,  non has reached the farmers, which I am aware of it. Accept if government is making the funds available to the political farmers . Those briefcase farmers, who easily access funds meant for the real farmers in the country. I want to  believe that the present government will think inward, and directly, assist the farmers, looking at the important role the sector   plays in the growth of the economy.

Recently, the President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), said any government support through CBN without their partnership is not for the farmers. How important is the partnership?

I am aware that CBN tried to bring out some financial support programme, but unfortunately, without working in -hand  with farmers association or groups, and making sure that our members are actually captured, assessed and assisted, there will not be any clear achievement for any government financial support for the farmers in the country. The partnership will also, help CBN to know that the financial support is for active farmers who are really in the business, like seed suppliers, equipment and other farm support. Not for the politicians who are parading themselves as farmers, while they don’t have any single land for farming.  I want to advised government , CBN and states , that they need to support the real farmers not the political farmers.

Talking of financing, what then is the role of Bank of Agriculture in Nigeria? Also, many commercial banks have been dishing  out figures, claiming it is their financial contribution towards the sector. What is your view on such development?

Harvested cassava tubers in Nigeria

Bank of Agriculture and industry choose whom they want to assist. Because, I am a farmer, and I know many other small scale farmers in the country. I don’t know any of us that has benefited from their financial support. The whole thing is full of hypocrisy and deception. For me, all the noise about their financial support is a fraud .  But, I believe in this country, Nigeria and I believe in Nigeria agriculture sector. On commercial banks, as an individual farmer, the microfinance banks are assisting farmers  more  in this country. If you approach the commercial banks, they will frustrate you,  until you lose your interest in asking them for  loan . For transparency , it is very important for the banks to  publish  how they spent the money they are claiming to contributed in the agricultural sector. If any Nigeria farmer has benefited from it, such individual or groups, should be known. It is time when government take serious step to confirm some information in this country. When someone  comes up, that amount of money has been contributed to the agriculture sector, Nigerians should know who are the beneficiaries. So that,  the issue of corruption will be minimal in our system. Who knows, if those funds are just going into some people’s pickets, who don’t have a single land for farming. If commercial banks don’t want to take the risk in supporting the core farming, they can support other area of farming that are less risk, like the agro suppliers , who supply seeds, feeds, equipment. It will go long way, in the sector.

How can Nigeria youth be encourage to go into farming looking at the potential in the area?

Last year, i wept  for Nigeria youths , when some of them  went to loot the shoprite at Epe -Lekki expressway during the South Africa killing issue . The ages of those youths  are between 15 and 28. These are youth who are supposed to be engaged in farming. During the tenure of Governor Babatunde Fashola, he set up a farm settlement in Epe area of Lagos. As, I am talking to you today, that farm settlement is not functioning up to 30 percent.  The place has been abandoned  by the last administration, and I think the current administration should look at it. A lots of youths were employed at the farm settlement then, and they were happy farmers because the enabling environment was there for them . They were making money from there  before now.  Such a development was very wonderful one . The farm centre  had almost every area of the farming system in operations. If government will put in place such a set up, it will reduce employment in the states of the federation.

What is your opinion, on the Federal Government border closure?

Day old chicks

I can say that some of our farmers are not doing badly but the challenge we have, in the poultry business is that it has been dominated by the foreigners. The foreigners have taken the charge of Day Old Chick  (DOC), and the prize is going high everyday.
Like today,  a day old chick is  N400  . it is not supposed to be more than N100. Reason be that a lots of Nigerian farmers have shut down their operations because of no financial support from government or financial institutions. But, the foreigners have assess to  finance from our commercial banks. Those Indians, Lebanese, Israel, Chinese don’t have problem in walking into any Nigeria banks  and get loans they want.