FAO advises farmers to tackle middlemen influence on food prices


 Ms Louise Setsbwaelo, FAO's Country Programmes Representative, on Tuesday advised farmers to form cooperative societies to control the prices of what they produce.
Mrs Adeola Akinrinlola, who represented, FAO's Country Representative, gave the advice at the inauguration of the Youth Agriculture Advocacy Group (YAAG), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Setsbwaelo said the undue influence of middlemen in the prices of farm produce would affect their profit.
``You need to know that when you come as a group, association or cooperatives it will be difficult for anyone to cheat you.
``If they try other farmers in that vicinity and the price of the produce is the same, they will come back to buy from you.
``You have the right to say how much you wish to sell, based on how much you have spent on production.
``The market woman does nothing but gain from our labour, that must stop,’’ she said.
The FAO, however, reiterated its commitment to continue to provide its technical support to Lagos State and promised to source for funds for agricultural projects when the need arises.
Earlier farmers had decried the undue influence of middlemen in the prices of farm produce in Lagos State.
Miss Reginald Innocent, who spoke on behalf of the Association of Youths for Unity in Agriculture (AYUA), said that the trend was beginning to take a toll on their income.
Innocent, who is the Vice-President of YAAG, called for a regulation of the sector in order to make farming lucrative and attractive endeavour for youths.
``Farmers are presently coping with the issue of middlemen or market women, as the case may be, which is a major challenge to making profit.
``Although, they have been in existence for a very long time and unchecked, they have continued to impoverish farmers.
``We spend so much to produce and at the end of the day, we sell to market women at ridiculous prices because we do not want the produce to go bad,’’ Innocent said. 

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