NAN -AE-10
Middlemen
Kano, Oct. 5, 2016 (NAN) Alhaji Garba Bichi, Kano State Secretary of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), has advised farmers in the state not to sell their farm produce to speculative middlemen.
Bichi gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kano.
He said that the advice became necessary in view of the fact that some unscrupulous middlemen had started buying the produce from farmers following the commencement of harvest season.
According to him, the intention of such people is to hoard the commodities with a view to reselling it to members of the public later at exorbitant prices.
“We feel that it is necessary to advise farmers to be careful with those people who are going round to buy their farm produce now.
“Their intention is to hoard the commodity until when the prices will go up to resell it to people at exorbitant rates,” he said.
Bichi said the association would soon commence enlightenment campaign on the dangers associated with such unpatriotic attitude of the speculative middlemen.
He said the campaign would be carried out in each of the 44 local government areas of the state.
“We intend to go from ward to ward to sensitise farmers on the need to stop selling their farm produce to middlemen immediately after harvest.
“These people are bent on causing scarcity of the produce in order to maximize profit through hoarding,” Bichi said.
He also advised the government at all levels to make a law that would check the illegal act.
According to him, some of the farmers have secured loans either from government or private organisation to cultivate their farms.
“Some of them are subsistence farmers, when they sell their produce early; they are the ones to suffer later before the next farming season.
“So if they dispose of the produce at a giveaway prices, they will not also be able to pay back the loans,” he said. (NAN)
MTM/MO/AFA
Edited by Morayo Omolade/Felix Ajide
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