Tension in Anambra as farmers lament access to credit facilities, drying machine, others but ATASP-1 assures

www.odogwublog.com reports that but for the assurances from Agricultural Transformation Support Phase One (ATASP-1), a programme developed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the African Development Bank to farmers in Anambra state, there would have been serious tension Ayamelum communities by now.
But the farmers have been assured by ATASP-1 of their willingness in solving some of their problems, including access to credit facilities.
Farmers from Omor, Anaku, Umueje in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra state identified access to credit facilities, lack of access road, distrust among tractor divers, unavailability of off takers among others as challenges confronting them in the area.
The zonal outreach specialist, ATASP 1, Adani-Omor Steple crop processing zone, Chief Emmanuel Udeh, in interaction with the local farmers on Thursday at Omor explained that  ATASP-1 will be implemented as a five year plan, financed from the African Development Foundation (ADF) loan and grant resources respectively in four Staple Crop Processing Zones (SCPZs).
“In this phase 1 of the programme, we have seven states of Anambra, Enugu, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa and Kano and each of these areas have their specific crop mandate. Our own mandate in Omor/Adani is in rice and cassava” he said
The zonal Gender and Social Development specialist, Omor/Adani steple crop zone, Mr. Chinedu Ugwuta, while introducing innovative platform to farmers said the innovation is to help the value chain actors be of mutual benefit to one another.
He further explained that Innovative Platform is an aspect of the ATA Support Programme-one operation, in which value chain actors: producers of various implements, fabricators, off takers, input suppliers, thresher owners, marketers, par boilers and others are brought together on a platform, so that each will benefit from the experiences of the other.

He however urged the farmers to imbued the attitude of  team building by identifying their common problems and providing common solutions, adding that such will increase Agricultural output, help the poor farmers realize the full benefit of their work, creation job opportunities and increase the their wealth.

Ugwuta advised farmers to specialize in any area they have comparative advantage as the ATASP-1project has a special programme for building the capacity of youths and women in agribusiness as it adopted commodity value chain development approach.

Some farmers; Osita Boniface (Seed rice producer), Francis Obalim and Francis Nnechi said they are being constrained by road infrastructure, experiences difficulty in accessing rice seed and high cost of transplanting as well as drying machines for drying their rice in this rainy season.

While Samuel Obiora, Ifeoma Nwabueze and others complained of distrust among tractor operators, lack of irrigation system and off takers in Omor area.

Responding, Chief Udeh and Chinedu Ugwuta assured the farmers that ATASP-1 will assist them get all the necessary infrastructure, stating that the dilapidated irrigation system in Omor will soon be repaired.


“We will also take care of the renovation of the cottage hospital in Omor and provide other infrastructure to take care of the infrastructural needs but we want you to know that this platform is for business and not for jamboree as there will be no room for political farmers” said Udeh.