Maize Farmers Association of Nigeria, on Monday in Katsina, said that Nigerian farmers produced no fewer than 20 million tonnes of maize in 2021.

The association’s National President, Alhaji Bello Abubakar, disclosed this when he led members on a courtesy visit to the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumin Kabir.

He said that before his resumption of office in 2015, Nigerian maize farmers were producing only eight million tons.

“However, between 2015 and now, the production has increased with about 12 million tonnes, making it 20 million tones,” Abubakar said.

With this development, he said that maize production in the country had increased, adding that this was achieved through the introduction of farmers to the modern farming system by the association.

“They have learned what is called mechanisation, from the beginning to cultivation, through the use of machines,” he said.

Abubakar explained that no fewer than 500,000 maize farmers had benefited from the Anchor Borrowers Programme, adding that no fewer than 80,000 had benefited from Katsina.

He said that the visit to the palace was to seek more support from the emir and also engage traditional leaders in the anchor borrowers programme so that farmers in the grassroots could benefit.

In his response, the emir commended the association’s support for farmers in Nigeria, calling on them to be formidable and not allow politicians to spoil the programme.

He also advised the association not to allow people of doubtful character to infiltrate its rank and prevent the real farmers from benefiting from its activities, especially now that insecurity had become a major threat to farmers in the North-East.