Agrikexpo is missing link in ATA – stakeholders

Agrikexpo, an international agricultural expo showcasing the convergence of primary production with agro industries that was launched last year, has been described as the prior missing link in the current administration’s Agric Transformation Agenda (ATA).

Pat Utomi, a public sector analyst, expressed great enthusiasm at the event – Agrikexpo, saying it had been a missing link in the agricultural transformation agenda until it was introduced. He commended the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for their partnership and advised companies, research institutes, banks and agricultural development agencies to utilise the opportunity for best benefits.

He also advised financial institutions to key into the wind of change in agriculture and rise to the challenge of increasing capacity for lending to the agricultural value chain.

According to him, farming and agro-business are key drivers of the economy, and a functional partnership between government and private participants is needed for a holistic transformation of the sector.

Emmanuel Ijewere, chairman, Community of Agricultural Stakeholders of Nigeria (CASON), described the second Agrikexpo coming up this year as a needed component of the agricultural transformation agenda of the present administration.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to him by the organisers of the event in Lagos, Ijewere said agriculture in Nigeria had come to a level where stakeholders from across the gamut of agricultural practices should network for pure business development reasons.

In his words, “agriculture is pure business and must be so rightly portrayed for commercial appeal and excellence,” commending the organisers for such a great initiative at this time government was desirous of partnerships with private sector initiatives.

In his submission, Sotonye Anga, chairman, Business and Youth Empowerment sub-committee of CASON, advised that “government must consciously give support and subsidies to agriculture, farmers and other stakeholders in the sector, as is done in other countries of the world, given the critical role agriculture plays in the life of any nation.”

Ugo Nnabuisi, managing director/CEO, 151 Products Limited, the organising company of the event, advised all agro-businesses, including would-be agro-entrepreneurs to take up the opportunity of the event to expand their business contacts, assuring that arrangements were in high gear to ensure a successful event for all participants.

Source: Esoko Nigeria