Rice farmers, ABG group sign MoU on cheaper farm inputs

The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the ABG Group to supply various farm inputs to 12 million members at cheaper rates. Dr. Bawa Garba, Chairman, ABG Group, while speaking at the interactive session between Agric Supermarket, a member of the ABG consortium and officials of RIFAN in […]

The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the ABG Group to supply various farm inputs to 12 million members at cheaper rates.
Dr. Bawa Garba, Chairman, ABG Group, while speaking at the interactive session between Agric Supermarket, a member of the ABG consortium and officials of RIFAN in Abuja, said the group was poised to actualising the country’s target for self-sufficiency in rice by 2017.
He listed the farm machinery and equipment to include tractors and power tillers, and fertiliser and other assorted farm inputs.
“Our assembly plant in Kaduna is 90% completed with capacity for 150,000 tractors in collaboration with technical partners from South Korea and China.
With relationship with RIFAN, you can now have a tractor costing you only N1.850 million. This is negotiated under a special arrangement that it would not be less than 50,000 units,” Dr. Garba said.
He stressed that a farmer under the current arrangement was expected to pay 15% of that amount to be able to own the tractor, while the balance of 85% would be guaranteed by CBN’s Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) fund.
Members of RIFAN will also access any quantity of fertiliser from the ABG Group partners and pay an initial deposit of 40% with the full payment to be completed in four months.
Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, the National President of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) while commenting on the agreement urged partners in the sector to deal with only the leaders of the association at all levels.