The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) spends over $15 million annually on Nigeria's agriculture, the agency's mission director has said.
Sharon Cromer said USAID is investing the money as Nigeria's development partner to improve the livelihoods of the citizens.
She said the USAID MARKETS Project, which focuses on improving rural livelihood by expanding economic opportunities in the agricultural sub-sector, is investing over $25 million between 2005 and 2010 to support private sector investment in agriculture, complementing government efforts.
"Post harvest loses are high, appropriate processing and value adding technologies are not available, a commercial orientation is lacking and market information and linkages are weak," she said.
Cromer said USAID spends roughly $3million a year on policy development and capacity building in a number of ministries, agencies and departments.
"USAID sponsored National Stakeholder Workshop on Fertilizer Policy and Strategy Implementation as well as the African Fertilizer Summit which eventually led to adoption of a National Fertilizer Policy, approved by the Federal Executive Council in June 2006" she said.
The Mission Director also said USAID has been the major donor towards addressing Avian Influenza in Nigeria with more than $1.6 million invested during the first year of the outbreak. "In 2007, another $4 million has been committed towards supporting Nigeria to containing and eradicating the disease," Cromer said.
She said the Cassava Enterprise Development Project, an $11.7 milion five - year partnership between USAID/Nigeria, Shell Petroleum Development Corporation and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture has yielded positive result.
The Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Sayyadi Abba Ruma, thanked the USAID on their efforts. "Nigeria despite being the highest producer of cassava has poor processing and storage facilities," he said.
allafrica.com
