The National Rubber Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria ( NARRPMAN), has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN), to create credit schemes targeting the development of rubber and other long gestation crops.
This is contained in a communique issued in Abuja on Saturday at the end of its 202 National Conference which had as its theme,” Industrialization of the Rubber Sub-Sector in Nigeria.”
It was organized by NARPPMAN, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, as well as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The other collaborators in the conference which held from Oct.21 to 22 were: The Raw Materials Research and Development Council and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
The communique was jointly signed by the National President and National Secretary of the association, Otunba Igbinosun Idowu-Peter and Mr Orimisan Ogunjumelo, respectively.
The associatiin also called on the Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry and NEXIM Bank, to be fully involved in the development of the rubber sub-sector.
This, it averred is by making funds available for rubber development at friendly interest rates for small and industrial rubber farmers.
” Government should implement all the relevant policies already developed to boost the agricultural sectors.
” Government should take up the responsibility to measure out modalities to assist in rubber production technology to further enhance the promotion and sustainability of the rubber sector.
” State governments should collaborate with NARPPMAN in the development of rubber value chain in their states by making land available for the development of rubber plantations.
” Government should increase agricultural subsidies to rubber farmers by construction of smokehouses in clusters.
” This is for effective storage facilities, basic infrastructural facilities, agrichemicals and fertilizers, to boost rubber production,” it added.
NARRPMAN further called for regular training and workshops for rubber farmers and young students.
Similarly, it urged the government to provide grants and encourage soft loans at single digit interest rates for rubber farmers;
The communique added: ” There is urgent need for Government to collaborate with the Organized Private Sector (OPS), to factor in aggressive programmes for the development of the rubber sector.
” This is due to the potential it has to contribute to the Nigerian economy, diversification efforts of the federal government, for the sustainable development of the country.
” There is the need for the revision and adoption of RMRDC’s Roadmap for the development of the rubber sector in Nigeria.
” Government should also enhance the research institute sector, to enable them develop technologies to improve the rubber sector.
” Government should expand and enhance the extension services to assist farmers in the rubber sector,” the communique, appealed.
The association solicited for federal government’s intervention by providing at least 100,000 hectares of land in each state for rubber production in Nigeria.
” The participants commended NARPPMAN for creating a platform for stakeholders to engage one another in discussions relating to the development of the rubber subsector in Nigeria.
” They expressed hope that this kind of interactive session would be institutionalized to ensure continuity and the effective implementation of the recommendations of the conference,” the communique concluded.
