Funmi Ogundare
The President of Rice Farmers Association in Nigeria, yesterday attributed the high cost of food in the market, especially rice, to an increase in the exchange rate of naira to dollar, saying most of the inputs used for cultivation are imported.
Goronyo, who was a guest on the Morning Show programme of ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspaper, explained that farmers had to exchange their naira to dollars to be able to buy the components to cultivate their farms, adding that there has been an increase in the area of production compared with 2015, because of the support the association is getting from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
According to him, “For instance, the herbicide, sprayer, water pump and the fertilizer component that we use are being imported. You have to change the naira to dollar to buy those components that would give the farmers enough inputs to cultivate their farms. That is the resent situation. You have to sell it to the farmers at a price that you exchange your naira, to make profit.
“Buying this input in 2015, it is still the same farmer but the difference is the exchange of naira to dollar. But there has been an increase in the area of production.
“Before 2015, what we obtained from our hectares were not more than 21.5 metric tons to maximum 2.5 tons, but today, the same farmers in the same hectare, are getting between 5 to 9.5 metric tons because of the support we are getting from the CBN. If not for the support, considering the exchange rate, I don’t know how much you will buy a bag of rice. It is the exchange rate of naira to dollar, otherwise, we would have been buying a 50kg bag of rice for N5,000.”
He emphasised on the CBN Anchors Borrowers programme for farmers, saying it has been able to put even small scale farmers back on track to cultivate their farmlands.
Goronyo said those saying that the programme is only focused on political farmers, are enemies of the state, adding that since its establishment in 2015, it has supported Nigerian farmers morally, as well as in the area of funds and training.
The president of the association described the anchors borrowers programme as a blessing to the country, saying during the COVID-19 pandemic, no other country supported Nigeria in the area of food supply, and added that the country was able to produce enough food for Nigerians to consume
locally.
