The National Groundnut Producers Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NGROPPMAN), has commended plans by the Federal Government to increase groundnut output to about 17.5 million metric tonnes by the end of 2025.
The President of the association, Aimu Foni, who spoke with journalists at the end of a stakeholders’s meeting in Abuja, said it had become necessary for a drastic action to be taken on groundnut to restore its past glory.
He noted that the projection of 17.5 million metric tonnes, was part of the objectives of a groundnut draft policy currently under review by relevant stakeholders.
He said when approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) the policy would go a long way in boosting groundnut production and repositioning other value chains within the sub sector.
According to him, part of the plans by government is to improve groundnut yield to 4.9 metric tonnes per hectare by the end of 2025.
“The objective of the draft policy, which is still under review, is to improve groundnut production and make it a major source of revenue generation for government.
“The policy when approved will further tackle the problem of training and extension services, which are critical to agricultural development.
“Also, the document will help with risk management, marketing as well as competitiveness to ensure robust domestic consumption and high quality export,” he said.
The president decried that despite being the largest groundnut producing country in Africa, the industry is grossly undeveloped in Nigeria.
He added that, compared to the days of groundnut pyramid, Nigeria is no where with regard to export of the commodity.
He said the sub sector had been bedeviled with several challenges including lack of credit, contamination and poor input.
