AMCIN, NEPC train Ebonyi farmers on Ugu leaves exportation – Blueprint Newspapers Limited

The Association of Micro-Credit institution of Nigeria (AMCIN) and She Grows Her Food program Thursday trained farmers in Ebonyi state on how to grow pumpkin leaves for export.

The program was done at AMCIN office, Ochudo Centenary City Abakaliki in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Commissio, Ebonyi state office.

National Coordinator, She Grows Her Food, Princess Comfort Nweke, disclosed that it was important for Ebonyi farmers especially the women to expand their vegetable farm in other to be able to export Pumpkin leaves (Ugu).

She noted that the United States government wants exportation of fresh Ugu leaves from Nigeria.

Mrs. Nweke said, “The reason we partnered with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council her in Ebonyi state and Southeast at large is because of what is going on in our country, because of oil issues, so we want group of people, individuals to go back to agriculture. We also want to teach them the means, the ways and about exportation.

“We are emphasizing more on Ugu (pumpkin) leave because US have approved exporting green leaves especially fresh Ugu leave and that is why we called on all Ebonyians, those who are into agriculture to come and learn the best agro practice on cultivation of Ugu leaf for exporting in Ebonyi state and in Nigeria.

“The essence of this program is for our people to start doing exportation of agricultural produce especially on the Ugu leaves because if properly done it will reduce poverty in our state and the country at large.

“Yes, our farmers are poor especially those at the remote areas, but that is why She Grows Her food as an NGO partners with so many bodies. You can see the DFO in CBN is hear, the Bank manager of EBSU microfinance bank is hear and other bankers and they are looking for genuine farmers and AMCIN She Grows Her food has been fishing these farmers out from the rural areas in other to help access fund for agricultural use.

“As we partner with CBN, last year we disbursed over 27 million naira to genuine farmers, those that are into rice production.

“Our target is to help the genuine farmers who don’t have access to fund, those who finds it difficult and are struggling to meet up in agriculture. If governments and organizations like ours don’t take care of these people the society will suffer and cost of food items will be very costly because the action will lack genuine farmers to cultivate.

“Our main objective is to monitor and evaluate, when we give anything it is to cooperative and not individuals, when we need funds, we look for means of giving loans to our cooperatives and we monitor them.

On his part, Mr. Ajayi James ,State Coordinator of Nigerian Export Promotion Council(NEPC) encouraged to venture into venture into cultivation of vegetables for exporting.
Noting that it should be do with organic manure in other to meet the standard for exportation.

“I will encourage farmers here today to take advantage of this program, when you check you will see that AI is taking over the other sector,like in rice farming but cultivation of Ugu leaves still requires manpower.and ones they are able to meet the requirements honestly they will do away with poverty”.

Head, Development Finance Office, Central Bank of Nigeria, Abakaliki branch, Sir Chijioke Ahuakagha said the apex bank of Nigeria would support serious farmers through CBN agricultural credit guarantee scheme fund(ACGHF).

“I want to encourage us that what we are here for is a very serious business in the sense that time has come for us to grow what we eat and eat what we grow. What NEPC and AMCIN is saying is that we want to go beyond subsistence farming. They are trying to encourage us to expand our farming system to grow to the level of exporting vegetables.

“I’m here as CBN representative because CBN don’t do something politics , when politicians are doing their own we do our work, that is why since AMCIN started in Ebonyi under the leadership of Princes Comfort Nweke, we have partnered with her, supported her however we can,We are going to encourage the activities of AMCIN through our agricultural credit guarantee scheme fund(ACGHF) so that those whom she has found worthy, we will open window for those set of people that are committed to assess that scheme through any of the banks”.