Farmers, Millers sign MoU, fix price of wheat at N140,000‎ per tonne

The Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Flour Millers Association of Nigeria to fix the minimum price of wheat at N140, 000 per tonne.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Heineken Lokpobori, while speaking at the ceremony on Tuesday in Abuja, congratulated both associations for the achievement.
He said they had set the path for other agricultural value chains to follow to limit importation of food and boost job creation in the country.
According to ‎the minister, the wheat sub-sector was an area where government spends billions of dollars on importation.
He pledged government's support for the association in ensuring that the terms of the agreement are kept by both parties.
In his remarks, Dr Gbenga‎ Olabanji, Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute, said Nigeria has the capacity to be self sufficient in food production.
He said wheat produced in the country ‎were as good if not superior to wheat produced anywhere in the world.
Olabanji said the major issued facing wheat production in the country was input and market, saying that with the support of the ministry, the ‎input challenges would be solved.
According to him, the MoU signed would ensure that the millers buy all that farmers will produce, hence, creating the much needed market for the farmers.
"In the next five years if we continue like this, I see no reason why Nigeria will not be self sufficient in wheat production," the executive director added.
Earlier, Mr Faruk Mudi, Chairman, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, said that the farmers were willing to increase their production.
‎He said the MoU signed with the association would be reviewed after 12months.
Mudi said the association was delighted with the terms of agreement and with the guaranteed minimum price set.
Also speaking, the Deputy Chairman, Flour Millers Association of Nigeria, Mr Lanre Jaiyeola said the total amount of wheat consumed in Nigeria was 4.5 million tonnes per annum.
He said local production was only 120,000 thousand per annum, leaving a huge gap to be covered by importation.
Jaiyeola‎ said that the millers were ready to keep to the terms of the agreement and will continue to support the farmers in the best way possible to achieve self sufficiency in wheat production.

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