Unlocking Affordable Financing for Agricultural Mechanisation

When compared to manual or human labour in crop production, mechanisation offers farmers exponential benefits generating an estimated NGN35,143 in cost savings and about three hours in
time savings per hectare compared to five days required for human labour. Unfortunately, mechanisation in Nigeria remains low with limited access to required machinery such as tractors. Although tractors are the primary focus of the government, they are insufficient when compared to the global average due mainly to limited access to financing.

This brief presents the case for improving access to Credit Risk Guarantees (CRGs) to engender growth in Nigeria’s mechanisation sector.

Scaling up the Spray Service Providers Model: Assuring Farmer Access to Safe and Quality Agrochemicals

About 26 to 40 percent of the world’s potential crop production is lost to weeds, pests, and diseases annually. Without agrochemicals, particularly pesticides, more than half of the world’s crops would be lost to insects, diseases, and weeds. In Nigeria, such grave losses are recorded annually across several crops.

Albeit important to crop productivity, agrochemicals or crop protection products (CPPs) are highly dangerous to human and environment health when utilised and disposed improperly. This brief presents the problem with access to and handling of CPPs and the regulatory space, and makes recommendations to enhance access and proper use of these products. It also shares Propcom Mai-karfi’s experience using trained Spray Service Providers to over barriers to access to quality CPPs.

Bridging the Gap in Rural Veterinary Services

Diseases that affect livestock and attendant costs are one the key threats to the livelihood of poor rural livestock farmers. Newcastle disease (NCD) and Peste des Petits Ruminants
(PPR) have the capacity to wipe out between 90 to 100 percent of
livestock flocks in Nigeria.

This brief, thus, presents the challenges surrounding access to needed veterinary products and services for poor rural farmers, proffers policy and other recommendations that can help improve the situation and showcases how Propcom Mai-karfi has used trained Community Animal Health Workers (CAHW) to provide and improve access to these services in the locations the Programme is implemented.