The Nigeria
Farmers Group and Cooperative Society (NFGCS) has expressed deep worries over
alleged massive importation of maize into the country by Olam Group,a
leading multi-national Agri-business operating from seed to shelf with branches
across Nigeria.
The National Coordinator of the NFGCS, Mr
Redson Tedheke, in an interview with Newsmen in Abuja on Friday, decried the
development, describing it as a major threat to local production of maize.
He lamented that
the massive importation of the product was coming at a time when the NFGCS and
many other local farmers have heeded the call of President Muhammadu Buhari to
go back to the farm to feed Nigeria, and that NFGCS had invested heavily in
maize farming in particular.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria must
act urgently or the localization of maize production will be lost to the anti-nationalism
forces of importers ,hell-bent on destroying Nigerian farmers in favour of
Indian farmers who are highly subsidized by the Indian Government.
“Olam Farms have seven vessels
loaded with imported maize, and this imported maize is not produced in West
Africa but India. Whatever the relationship, the Nigerian Government should not
allow this maize to be sold here because it will kill local farming and the
Nigerian Economy.
“The current price in Nigeria is between
N130,000 and N250,000 per ton with local production. We gathered that the
current landing cost of the maize Olam is importing is N40,000/ton.
“If allowed, the action will spell
doom for farmers who have battled lack of funding, the ineptitude of Government
agencies and the continuing war with Army worms in this current farming season,”Tedheke
lamented.
He warned that if
the imported maize is allowed into the Nigerian market it will adversely affect
the price of locally produced ones, and cause a huge loss to farmers who have heeded President Buhari’s call for farming.
He noted that the NFGCS is employing
250 staff today and is hoping to add a further 1,000 before the end of this
Year. While it is currently opening up 2,000 hectares of new maize farmlands in
Nasarawa and Adamawa States, besides its cultivated 300 hectares that are almost
ready for harvest.
“We have only one demand; let these
vessel head back to India, Nigeria Cannot afford to eliminate the livelihood of
millions of farmers who are answering a national call to make Nigeria
independent of external Influences.”
Tedheke therefore called on relevant
government authorities to intervene in order to save local farmers from imminent
loss.
“We are informed that the Minister
of Agriculture and that of Finance have kicked against this importation by Olam.
“So who cleared the imported maize
into Nigeria?”,he queried.