Vanguard News
Taraba Yam Market comes alive as Tiv/Jukun crisis ebbs
On
By Femi Bolaji
JALINGO FOR over one year, the Wukari Yam Market has been left desolate. The ever-bubbling market became a shadow of itself on account of the feud which pitched the Tiv against the Jukun in Taraba South spreading to its domain.
Wukari Town, in the Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State where the Yam Market is situated, was one of the flashpoints of the ethnic feud that lasted over a year.
Lives and properties were lost to the bloody conflict, sending jitters to both buyers and sellers who used to flood the multi-million-naira Yam market that was once the pride of not only Taraba but the entire country.
The stakeholders made the lamentations during a meeting on adoption and utilization of “orange flesh” sweet potatoes meeting held in Yola.
“The prerequisite of the bank is so harsh that when you do not bribe your way you cannot access the funds which have become a challenge for the ordinary farmer to make up his mind,” said Jauro.
He said SMEDAN under POGPMAN was giving loans to farmers in Kaduna, Abuja, and Ibadan and urged the farmers to register as organization rather than an individual for easy access.
“We have stopped any association from receiving any kobo from a farmer. Because there is an outcry from farmers saying the associations are dubious”.
Covid-19 may further delay cotton payments
February 3, 2021 in Business
BY FIDELITY MHLANGA
MANY cotton farmers who are owed about $3 billion by merchants face further payment delays as the national lockdown imposed by government to fight the Covid-19 pandemic may affect state finances,
standardbusiness understands.
The $3 billion is in respect of cotton delivered to merchants, including the State-run Cottco, during the 2020/2021 marketing season.
Cottco is the biggest player in the sector, with branches across the country.
Many cotton farmers were given groceries as payment after the merchants struggled to raise funding last year.
In an interview last week, Cottco chairman Sifelani Jabangwe said the plan was to finish off payments by March, but the lockdown could affect state revenues and make it difficult to release the subsidy that the firm requires.
By James Emejo
Maize farmers have criticised recent agitations by some groups for the importation of the commodity as a “calculated attempt to further hinder maize production” in the country.
The farmers assured that Nigeria “should be able to achieve at least 25 million metric tonnes (MMTs) of maize before the end of the year” going by the current improvement in local production capacity and funding support from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Anchor Borrower Programme (ABP) as well as expectations that the COVID-19 pandemic would be better managed globally going forward.
The farmers also assured that modalities have already been put in place to achieve reduction in the price of maize, which hit the roof in recent times.