The Taraba farmers of Rice and Cassava on Thursday singed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) wy three Agricultural marketing companies to enhance farm produce market in the state.
The signing of the agreement was facilitated by the Taraba government in collaboration with (FGN/IFAD) Assisted -Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) at the Facilitate Market Linkages and Signing of MoU between VCDP Rice and Cassava Farmers’ Organisations and Off Takers in Jalingo.
Mr Musa Irimiya, State Project Coordinator (VCDP) said that the agreement became necessary due to the need to provide adequate market for farmers.
Irimiya, who was representated by Mr Martin Jesse, Auditor of the Programme said that the gesture was an exit strategy by the Programme.
He said that the MoU was to sustain the production (farmers) and market (off takers) relationship even at the completion of the Programme.
He noted that the establishment of a market was a stimulus to agricultural production, saying’no market,no production’.
He also advised both parties to honor the agreement reached, adding that such would sustain the buyers and producers relationship for the better.
The project coordinator commended Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba for being one of the few states who were up to date in their ‘counter part funding’.
He said that the prompt payment of the counter part funding by the state had enhanced adequate participation and attainment on the goal of the programme.
Earlier, Mr Ezikiel Mamayi, Head of Quality Control of the Programme urged farmers to adopt integrity in the supply of their produce, advising the off takers to use standard means of measurement of produce supplied to them by farmers.
In his remark, Mr Peter Agada, Representative of OLAM PLC, one of the off takers in rice production urged farmers to improve their production to meet up the supply demand of the company.
Agada gave an assurance that the company would not renege on the agreement.
The three companies who signed the MoU are OLAM PLC, buyers of paddy rice.
Tita Kuru Food Processing Company signed for cassava and FTK Commercial Enterprises, also signed for cassava.
