Centre launches Integrated Produce City to boost agric value chains


 The Centre for Value in Leadership (CVL) said on Tuesday that an Integrated Produce City would soon be launched to boost the agricultural value chains in the country.
The Founder of the centre, Prof. Patrick Utomi, made the revelation at the 2016 International Conference on Agriculture, tagged: ``Back to Agriculture.’’
Utomi said the city located in Edo State would in part, reduce waste in agriculture which was a major drag of active players in the agriculture sector.
``Many times we ask farmers to grow one crop or the other after growing it, they find it difficult to dispose properly of what they have grown, that is, selling off their produce.
``The integrated city concept is one in which farmers literarily; every evening can travel from wherever they are because we are looking at a six state to the integrated produce city.
``Where the commodities exchange and major users of fresh produce will have their warehouses located in the city and we would move from the trading floor whatever is bulged to their various warehouses.
``Later this month the produce city which is probably going to be one of the biggest agricultural value adding chains in the country with very specific goals, would kick-off,’’ Utomi said.
The founder said the city would have storage facilities that would service the manufacturing chain, developed logistics services to aid easy distribution both locally and export.
According to him, some farms would be located in the estate, that is, an out-growers scheme to work with local farmers (livestock, crops, aquaculture amongst others).
Prof. Danbala Danju, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA), said that there was gap in the growing population and the ability to feed the nation.
Danju said this while delivering his paper on Financing Agriculture for Economic Growth in Nigeria.
He, however, said there should be specific targets, rewards and sanctions for players in the sector to foster development.
Mr Basher Binji, Managing Director of Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), also delivered a paper on how agricultural insurance can improve food security.
Binji said that food security and insurance worked together and that government policies price regulations, urban migration and natural disasters where challenging the development of the sector.
He said that there were several areas where agricultural insurance played a major role such as the transportation of produce and others.
Mr Ahmed Bashir, Deputy High Commissioner and Director UK Trade and Investment during his presentation, said Nigeria should maximise its agricultural potentials.
Bashir promised that the UK and Nigeria held strong ties that would not severe in the near future.

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