LCCI to drive agriculture using its Cooperative Society


The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said on Tuesday that it will drive agriculture through  its Cooperative Society in order to make farmers have easy access to loans.
Mr Adeola Elliott, the Chairman of the LCCI Agric and Agro-Allied Group, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
According to him, the Cooperative Society is part of the chamber’s integrated Agriculture Project, as it wants all hands to be on deck, to fast track agriculture in the country.
``We have small farm holders scattered all over and they do not want to remain small farm holders all their lives.
``They are still small farm holders because their capacity to expand is limited and it is difficult for even banks to give loans to small farm holders.
``The Cooperative Society intends to bring all farmers under one umbrella and yet operate independently.
``As farmers become members of the LCCI Agric and Agro Allied Group and the Cooperative Society, they automatically be will be entitled to loans,’’ he said.
Elliott said that the Cooperative Society would also be used to confront the government and ensure that whatever loans for farmers got to the real farmers.
He said that this way, farmers would be sure that whatever assistance coming from government would be spread to them as members, unlike now that loans for farmers would be given to non farmers.
Elliott said that the Cooperative Society was opened to big and small farm holders nationwide.
He said that there would be opportunities for farmers with similar produce to come together and get a tractor to plough their lands, which would be cost effective.
According to him, ordinarily small farm holders will not be able to hire a tractor because of the cost, but when they come together, it would be cheaper.
Elliott said that the Cooperative Society would also be used to drive accountability.

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