Farmers appeal for biotechnology cotton …seek for N100bn cotton intervention fund

The appeal was made by the Cotton Farmers Association of Nigeria, led by the President, National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTTAN), Alhaji Suleiman Abdullahi, when they met with the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, in Abuja.“There are approximately 1.3 million cotton farmers spread across the 26 cotton producing states which can provide over 10 […]

The appeal was made by the Cotton Farmers Association of Nigeria, led by the President, National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTTAN), Alhaji Suleiman Abdullahi, when they met with the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, in Abuja.
“There are approximately 1.3 million cotton farmers spread across the 26 cotton producing states which can provide over 10 million employments to our teeming population if well harnessed,” Abdullahi said.
He enumerated the challenges facing cotton farmers to include low ratio of yield of seed, late distribution of inputs, climate change and inadequate follow up of farmers to ensure that cotton is planted on time.
Other challenges, according to him, include the presence of foreign seeds, none existence of extension services and lack of access to financial assistance to cotton farmers.
Farmers who spoke at the occasion appealed to the minister to ensure early distribution of free seed to farmers, saying this should be done preferably in May.
They requested that seed should be distributed to them through the ginneries.
They said irrigation farming of cotton will help to mitigate against climate change and ensure increase in the production of cotton.
Our borders must be well policed to stop the importation of crops that we can produce in abundance in the country, they said.
In his remarks, the minister promised to look into the demands of the farmers, saying that cotton is “white gold.”
The minister decried the influx of cheep textile materials from China and other countries, making cotton business not profitable in Nigeria, saying: “We cannot afford a situation where others develop at our expense.”