- Calls For Cluster Farming, More Grants
- Laments Farmers’ Challenges
This week, The Pointer Weekend Guest is Mr. Christopher Ameachi Aghuno, the Delta State Chairman of Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Acting Secretary-General, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Delta State Chapter, and also a seasoned journalist.
In this interview with Ifeanyi Omenogor in Asaba, he spoke on the need for all tiers of government and Nigerians to support agriculture through cluster farming, the challenges of farmers, and creating the enabling environment for successful agric venture.
He also talked about the 2027 general elections and the development strides of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in Delta State, among other issues. Excerpts:
Please tell us more about yourself and the state of your association in Delta State
My name is Christopher Amaechi Aghuno, I am a social worker, a social anthropologist, a journalist, and a public administrator. I have a passion and that’s in agriculture. Agriculture is just my passion. And that is why today, I am the Chairman of the Nigerian Cassava Growers Association. I am also the acting Secretary General of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Delta State chapter.
What is the focus of your association?
There’s nothing we are doing in life, if we cannot tap on what God has given us. I think the first thing we should be doing in life is how to feed ourselves. The tendency is to be able to harness what the land tends to give to us. We should be able to harness our environment and ensure it’s progressing. So, our focus is to ensure self-sufficiency in agriculture. I think that is why every developed nation cannot come begging for food from a less developed nation.
And secondly, even if you are a father, and you cannot feed your children or your home, you cannot claim to be successful. So, everything we do in life is tended to be able to feed our home, feed our country and later give outsiders when we are well off. So, let us start whatever we are doing to support agriculture.
How is cassava farming in Delta?
We have persons that are ready to work, but you know, as it is, wherever you go, you try to reorganize that place to meet your own tendencies and your own goal. So, as I speak, I had to reorganize the chapter, bring everybody together, and get a database, which is the first critical thing for any association. As you are coming in, you know those that are your members, if they are genuine members or not, if they are financial members or not. I think that is the first thing any human being should do.
Then after that, we visited the local governments to see that everybody is in place. We have to sit back to begin project work, policies that will make us survive. And as I speak, I’m a great enthusiast of the cluster system; the cooperative system and that is where the world is turning to. For those that have made it, don’t forget they are in cooperatives and they are in the cluster system because in the cluster system you’ll find out that if you want to teach one person you are teaching 100 persons, you will find out that if you are giving security to two people you are giving 200 people, and you will find out that when you want to buy you buy cheaper. So, cassava farming in Delta is progressing.
And by doing this, you will be producing so much and that is where I expect us as a nation to be tending to.
Tell us some of the challenges facing farmers
The greatest problem that faces the cassava farmers and agriculture generally is insecurity. You see it here day in day out. We talk about killings day in day out; we say our farmers have refused to go to the farms, but you will agree with me that if we have 100 persons, 200 persons in a particular location everybody will know that you are there, the government will know that you are there, even the international community will know that you are there, yes what people are looking for is a conglomerate of people farming to feed our people and export to other countries.
We are also faced with financial constraints. So we want government to give us enough money to be able to do our own farms. And now if you have your own farm, the government and the people will benefit, hence we are interested in cluster farming.
Also, bad roads are major challenge because you cannot transport your farm produce to the urban areas, and by the time you do with high cost of transportation, this will surely affect the prices of things.
How is your relationship with the state government?
Yes, I would say the government has been so wonderful. You see, I never doubted my state governor one day. I never doubted him one day and I have proof to show that I do not doubt him. I had to congratulate him in the second year in office and I went to the papers when I said this is an unassuming governor that his works are noticed not on the pages of newspaper but physically.
You see, we farmers have been given maize to help us increase our farming, we have been giving fertilizers among other things and these have helped us a lot. Therefore, Agriculture is progressing in Delta State, though there is still more to be done.
But, we are saying too that we want something that will help us outside being subsistence farmers. We want big farming; we want cluster farming; we want cooperative farming, and we want to contribute greatly to our economy. We want a situation where we can go into the food value chains, we want a situation where we can go into good agricultural practices to enable us join the exporters. If we have a 100 hectares farm land in either Ogwashi Uku or any other place, there is a tendency that we have mills there. Because if you produce and you have your mills and you package them, you will sell and make more money and also create more jobs.
So, you are saying that government should support you in terms of more investments, financial assistance, creating enabling environments for farmers?
Yes, let us give another example. If we have land and the government is helping us in producing or tractorizing the place, and we get whatever grant we can in form of seedlings, good seedlings, improved seedlings, and at the end of the day, even if we don’t uptake it, we have up takers, or we have a mill, we now mill whatever we produce, process and put them into bags and then sell, that’s the value chain. We will be making more money than just harvesting and selling. The bad aspect of it is that if we don’t do it like that, whatever we are producing is being carried away. And at times too, they are sold abroad.
What you said now means the agriculture programme is doing well in Delta States?
Yes, the programme is progressing in Delta State; our relationship with the government is cordial and we hope it improves more.
You said the government helped your members with maize, fertilizers and other stuff. What about cash grants?
Yes, that’s what I’m saying. At times when it comes to things like this, the government might not be able to do everything. They show you the way. The last time we were in the Government House, some days back, I’m not saying that government cannot give you grants because I know that this government gave out about N1bn to the Bank of Industry (BOI). The government also gave another N1bn to DACCIMA and most times it is for smallholder farmers through the SMEs, you understand? So, what I’m saying is this, if those things are happening and if they are channelled towards farmers, towards artisans directly, and they are making sure that those stakeholders get these things, good for all of us. Do you understand it? We were called to Unity Hall to discuss these things, but what I tell people every day is this; you don’t take whatever money you want to give to farmers, to the ministries or to the banks to handle. But give directly to the farmers. If anything is missing from it, it will be very minute. It will not affect productivity. And you see in this nation as a whole, we are not talking about the state now, our problem is not policies. We have noble policies from noble men. But poor implementation is a big problem. If it is from source to the person that needs it, you hardly see anything missing. It is the go-between, the political farmers; that’s why we have the problems, including bottle-necks and other stuffs. Therefore, government must try to put things in the right perspective.
So, now, as of today, can you tell us that farmers in the Delta State are happy with the government?
Yes, cassava farming and agriculture generally are getting better; it is progressing, but not Uhuru yet.
But I think there’s progress, yes there’s progress but the issue of security must be tackled and as the Commissioner for Information said, we are making progress in Delta State as regards farmers and herders clashes, and this will increase agricultural inputs into the economy. But you know already there’s that phobia about insecurity. So, we have to do something to take away the fear from the farmers. It will be difficult for most of them to go to farm except you show them that there’s no problem there, that’s why we are talking about cluster farms and cooperative farms Cluster farming is better, so if you are there in a cluster farm, you will definitely get other people farming around there and help check insecurity.
We have good policies but the ability to implement them is the challenge. So, yes, to implement is where the problem is.
Let’s come down to Delta State properly. Ahead of 2027, there was a political movement recently, the whole PDP structures moved to APC. You are the leader of the farmers. Do you think it is a wise decision moving from PDP to APC at this time?
You see one thing it is not too good discussing that now, however, they are in the know and we are watching, definitely, the decision will affect the state political and economically.
So now, in 2027, will farmers in the state vote for APC?
Let us see, the time will tell, when the time is ripe, I will relate with my members, Okay, and will we take our decision.
Naturally, it’s supposed to be a case of him who pays the piper, dictates his tunes. So, you expect me, if you’re my father, you don’t give me food, you are not a good father. Whatever is due to farmers, they should get it. So, let us not say there are no politics, 2027 will come, whoever you understand is that man that recognizes you, you will recognize that man.
Now let’s move away from 2027 politics. You are in Delta State. What do have to say about the achievements of the governor for two years?
If you ask me, I will say that our governor is not the noisy type. Like I said before, he is somebody that prefers to work and you see what he has done. After his 100 days, I was the very first person that noticed it. So, if that be the case, I think his projects are speaking for him. His relationship speaks for him. I judge you by your relationship with everybody. Yes, I had an uncle. He did not give me personally. He did not give me the kind of job I wanted. We were always close. I was the only person with him when he was going to do his birthday or any other thing.
But he was putting people in different places and I was very happy with him. I want to tell our governor by this means that the population of cassava farmers is so high. Yes, there is need to encourage and support them.
How many?
We have over 5000 farmers that are with us in Delta State, yes, but that is not all, but also including the population of those who work with them and depend on the farmers. Nobody will tell me that cassava is not our staple food, cassava has the potential to lift our economy.
So, if you want to make a point in the economy come to cassava farming before oil, then come to yam. You will be making a very big voice. Do you understand me? I am happy with the governor because of what he is doing everywhere. But I want to see a robust relationship between government and cassava farmers in the state.
Now, you have said one or two things about the government. Let’s say you are an adviser to the government because with your position somehow, you are an adviser. Do you have any advice for government?
Yes. Like I said earlier, everything put together the government is doing well. Farmers should be recognised by government so that they do better.
For the man that cannot feed his home, you understand, cannot be said to be a man. That’s what the Bible says. So, what I want to advise is, let us start from the basics in agriculture.
So, we need upward review of support to farmers. Yes, upward review of support to farmers. It’s only a man that is well fed that can work. I want us also to implement the issue of cluster farming with the associations, not with any other persons, because this issue will trickle down to the ordinary farmer. What they are expected to do for the farmers, the association can do better because they are all farmers and they know themselves. I want us also to see farmers like we see lawyers, doctors and others.
I do not want people to see us, the real farmers as political farmers. We condemned activities of the so called political farmers, we must be together to be able to drive the nation forward. The saying is not that without lawyers or without doctors, there will be no food or no nation will develop. But the saying is; without farmers, there will be no nation and no nation can develop without food. So, it is no farmer, no nation, that’s all.
Do you have any message for your members?
Yes, I think a farmer is supposed to be a patient person. Cassava farmers ought to be patient. As we are hoping for the state and Federal Government intervene in our challenges, farmers, should be patient.
Government should remove bureaucratic bottlenecks from agricultural policies to help the system develop. So, farmers should strive hard to improve agriculture and contribute their quota to societal development.
Generally, do you have any other advice or message for Nigerians?
Yes, like what Obasanjo said, he was advising everybody, go back to the farms. He is not saying you should go and clear bushes but farm on it, have a garden of vegetables or other items. That’s what I’m telling the leaders and Nigerians. They should help our people to go back to agriculture. Therefore, we must embrace farming to grow ourselves and the country’s economy.
