As 2022 African cashew alliance conference hold in Nigeria this month, private agribusiness smart farmers BAAY Agro and Greenbles both has partnered with the cocoa research institute of Nigeria to plant 5Million seedlings in the next years.
Launched 3rd of September 2022 in Iseyin, Oyo state Nigeria, this partnership is set to integrate over 5000 cashew small holder farmers to it plan by researching viable seedlings and make them available free for trained farmers. Baay agro in 2021 started this empowerment programme in partnership with greenbles where cashew farmers were empowered with over 10,000 seedlings and in 2022 took it further to smartly leverage on it agency to reachout to more farmers.
Speaking at the launch the Director of cashew planning, Cocoa research Institute of Nigeria; Dr O.S Ibiremo layed emphasis on the economical advantages of the value chain attributed to cashew and other perennial crops, how important farmers are to this value chain and how they have been short changed due to lack of value addition, he further established the private firms should look in to local processing to help the farmers. He clearly stated the role of CRINas a research institute that would partner in areas of research and training support for women and he mentioned over 75% of personnel in cashew processing are women.
Segun Adegoke, Founder of Baay Agro appreciates the farmers for their support since 2021, launched the BAAY AGENCY who are smart local liaison who would be trained to use the smart application to further Make these empowerment seemless over the next 10years. He also emphasized the long term goal which is to have an integrated services, he specifically stated the plan to partner with all stakeholders and government to bring a processing machine to oyo state thus bringing markets closer to the farmers, creating employment for the locals and fostering economical prosperity of the rural community as we contribute to food security campaign of the United Nations. Saeed Oshin, COO of greenbles awarded the smart farmers of the year amidst the locals and ask for their continuous engagement in smart farming.
Some of the small holder farmers raised concern surrounding planting, timelines to reach yield, market access, attacks amongst others. These were all responded to by professionals across different value chain with promise for continuous follow up and training to support the small holder farmers. The farmers would however be supported year in year out for the next 5years in areas of seedlings, soil viability testing, trainings, farm inputs, market access, agribusiness information, mapping and farm data analysis using GIS, Segun reiterated.
