The Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN) and the Benue State government are collaborating to improve food security and set prices for agricultural commodities.

Donald Akule, the managing director and CEO of the Agricultural Development Company (ADC), revealed this in Makurdi on Monday.

Mr Akule reiterated the state government’s readiness to cooperate with FACAN to settle disputes over commodity prices between the government and farmers.

According to the MD, the goal was to guarantee that all farmers receive fair prices for their produce and food availability. 

“We have declared a state of emergency on food insecurity. We want to make sure that every farmer gets value for what they produce.

“In the coming days, we are going to roll out a template of how this produce can be bought or mopped by the ADC and to make sure that we fill up our silos and food banks,” he said.

Mr Akule advised farmers to form cooperatives or groups for easy transactions, adding that the government would not work with individual farmers.

“Agriculture business is a collective business; it is a collaborative business. We are going to liaise with FACAN to make sure that we regulate the prices of grains. We will not recognise any person that is working in isolation. Any farmer that is not part of an organised working group would not be accepted,” he said.

FACAN state coordinator Vitalis Tarnongu said Benue farmers were ready to partner with the government in regulating prices to enable them to get value for their produce.

Mr Tarnongu said their mandate was to ensure the prices of commodities are set in such a way that both farmers and the government benefit.

The new state coordinator assured the government of FACAN’s commitment to ADC to boost agricultural production.

“We are ready to work closely with ADC to ensure food sufficiency. We solicit your support and cooperation for the association to succeed in its assignment,” he added.

Source: AgroNigeria