NIRSAL MFB Trains Fish Farmers, Others in Sokoto 

Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has trained 500 fish farmers and agricultural extension agents on profitable value chains and best practices.

NIRSAL’s lead trainer, Mr Baba Robert, told the Newsmen that the programme is under the Technical Assistance Pillar of NIRSAL mandates.

According to him, “NIRSAL is working towards reaching 100,000 fish, cassava, and rice farmers across the country this year with its training on the optimization of Agro Geo-Cooperatives to support the Federal Government’s food security agenda. 

“The train-the-trainer programme which comprised 500 participants, is intended to impact a further 3,500 farmers during the step-down phase and boost Sokoto’s position as a regional fish hub.

The programme was aimed at boosting farmers’ capacities to access and repay commercial loans and other finances, inputs, optimize their harvests and produce aggregation, and boost their access to secured markets,” Robert said.

According to him, NIRSAL had set out modalities to sensitize fish farmers on its value chain-fixing solutions, especially the Agro Geo-Cooperative (AGC) model which structures smallholder farmers.

He noted that the targeted farmers are expected to obtain enhanced capacity to produce at locations and ventured into financeable clusters with elaborate governance structures.

He called on the participants to adopt the AGC model of primary production because it is a solution to the perennial difficulties farmers encounter in their attempts to access finance and produce at scale.

A cross-section of participants expressed appreciation to NIRSAL Pls on the training, which had broadened their knowledge and provided them with modern business potentialities.