Post by Trade Coach on Jun 11, 2017 20:52:35 GMT 1
LEAPING THROUGH CHALLENGES: THE TALE OF NIGERIAN SMALLHOLDER CASHEW FARMERS
"We had learnt that Nigeria’s cashew was the best in the time old. So we needed to team up in order to market it. We had previously been experiencing post-harvest losses. So we needed to come together as we realised that there is strength in numbers."
The leader of cashew farmers, UFAN further reiterated that some Nigerians based abroad had even shown interest in buying cashew from the Association.
He mentioned Adediran Global Resources Limited owned by a United Kindgom based Nigerian as an organisation that had shown a serious interest in what he and his colleague smallholder farmers were doing.
He also said there was one India-based Nigeria ' identified as Ojikutu who had indicated his interest in buying cashew from the members of UFAN.
For years, they toiled producing little, a huge percentage of which was wasted. They were at the mercy of the whims and caprices of middlemen who were supposed to ascertain a thriving market for their produce. But two years ago, they came together to form an association. Since then, they have been leaping through their challenges. Welcome to the world of the smallholder farmers in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
In November, 2015, 13 smallholder farmers came together to form an association called the Unity Farmers Association of Nigeria (UFAN). In June of last year, the Association was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Now the Association has a membership of more than 1000 people.
Although the President of the Association, Mr. Micheal Aremu said the vision for their coming together was rooted in Genesis 12:3 which according to him promised that people would be blessed through them, it is clear that these farmers were seeking some economic liberation.
This fact was indicated by Aremu in his chat with journalist. "We started with 13 members. But we later had one more person who was a lawyer. To publicize the Association, we went to Parrot 101:1 FM (a private radio station based in Ogbomosho). We came together basically so we could get a better market for our produce. We have the aim of exporting them."
Aremu said when they came together, one of the first things they did was to identify where they had an absolute advantage. They discovered that Cashew farming was what they should dabble in.
According to Aremu, the coming together of different smallholders had helped to foster the production of cashew on a larger scale. He claimed that there was a 300 to 400% increase in the number of people who had taken to cashew farming. This according to him was an eloquent testimony to the fact that more people now had the understanding of what they could achieve by producing cashew.
But these farmers are aware that for them it is not yet Uluru. Hence, to scale up production, they have the intention of inviting investors into the country.
"What we intend doing is to invite investors in to the country. We will give them land and other resources for them to invest. But we will come to an agreement that they have to employ the famers' children," said Aremu.
He also emphasised that the Ogbomoso farmers would concentrate on tomato production. He said they would find a thriving market for tomato as the Association was still hobbled by wastage after production.
But does the formation of the Unity Farmers' Association of Nigeria imply that these smallholders mean that they no longer need the middlemen? Aremu said no. He stated since the farmers had become a strong force, the natural reaction of the middlemen was to take them more serious.
While speaking about the supply of fertilisers to the farmers, Aremu assured that they had no problem with it. He informed that there was a private company in Ogbomosho which sold fertilisers to farmers at a lower rate. Aremu however explained that neither the Federal Government nor the Oyo State Government had reached out to the farmers to assist them by any means. But he said the farmers were ready to work with government if it showed any interest in them.
Though it appears that the smallholder farmers of Ogbomosho are making steady progress in what they do, they are still bothered about herdsmen who allow their cattle to go on rampage in their farms.
"We have the challenge of the Fulani herdsmen. They still allow their cattle to wander in our farmers. Sometimes, they shake the cashew trees so the fruit fall to the ground for their cows to feed on. We have reported the case to the Police. There has not been an improvement on the situation. But we are keeping the peace as we are avoiding confrontation with the herdsmen." Aremu said despite their limitations, the members of UFAN have a goal. They believe that in five year’s time they will be a reference point in Nigeria. They hope to have widened their market by that time. The Association is also interested in encouraging youths to dabble in agriculture. This much was said by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Oke Olapade.