By Christian Njoku
The Government of Cross River has convened stakeholders under the International Fund for Agricultural Development – Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises in the Niger Delta (EFAD LIFE-ND) project to strengthen market access for beneficiaries through improved linkages with off-takers.
The high-level policy dialogue in Calabar focused on addressing marketing barriers affecting priority commodities and fostering collaboration among producers, financiers, policymakers and private sector actors.
Speaking during the engagement, Cross River’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Johnson Ebokpo described the forum as timely for improving agricultural marketing systems in the state.
Represented by Dr Odey Ikongha, Permanent Secretary of Cross River’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Ebokpo said agriculture remained central to food security, income generation and economic growth.
He, however, decried the project’s weak market access and poor linkages with off-takers which often undermined productivity, leaving farmers unable to secure fair prices for their produce.
“I urge participants to focus on logistics, pricing, standards and financing, while strengthening linkages between producers, off-takers and financial institutions as the state government is committed to reforms and partnership to boost the sector,” he said.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of EFAD LIFE-ND, Dr Abiodun Sanni, explained that the project focused on key commodities including cassava, rice, oil palm, plantain, cocoa, poultry and aquaculture.
Represented by Mr Amosun Yinka, the National Enterprise Development Specialist, Sanni noted that a major gap identified in the project was poor market development, which led to the creation of a dedicated market enterprise component.
“Without access to markets, agribusinesses struggle to make profit and sustain operations, discouraging investment and access to finance.
“Identifying buyers and market needs before production is essential to building profitable and sustainable agribusiness ventures,” he said.
Similarly, Mr Innocent Ogbin, Coordinator of the project in Cross River, said the programme was designed to empower youths and women through agribusiness development.
He, however, noted that marketing remained a key challenge for beneficiaries, necessitating the stakeholder engagement to explore solutions and strengthen market linkages.
According to him, “we have brought together banks, off-takers, producers, input suppliers and consultants to drive collaboration and innovation in the project,” he said.
He added that the expected outcome of the project included actionable recommendations, stronger partnerships and improved access to markets for LIFE-ND beneficiaries.
One of the project beneficiary, Miss Miriam Okon thanked the Federal and State Governments for the initiative noting that the project had created employment for many youths and lifted them out of poverty.
Okon who was a an aquaculture trainee turned trainer in the project appealed that the project be sustained and all its components enlarged to accommodate more youths and women in the rural areas.
The highpoint of the engagement was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between beneficiaries of the project and off-takers, marking a step towards strengthening market system.
