The Executive Director of the Farmers Online Market, FOM, Mr. Stephen Maduko, in a statement, revealed that about 30 million farmers were being target by the Federal government through its renewed e-wallet scheme. According to him, the launching of a new e-wallet scheme for Nigerian farmers by the Federal Government over the weekend, with 14 million farmers already captured in the digital archives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is laudable. Maduko, who expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for its support, decried what he called the absence of market and storage facilities for the locally produced farm produce. He reiterated the capacity of the farmers online market to produce jobs and business opportunities for women and youths, thereby making them selfemployed and self-sustaining, and also creating jobs and wealth for all categories of unemployed people.
“With a target of creating over 2 million jobs directly and over 20 million jobs indirectly, we urge the Federal Government through its ministries, departments and agencies in the 36 states and 774 local government councils, and all relevant stakeholders in the agricultural sector to support us and offer their services through the DOM,” he said. He regretted that there was no accurate data available on what farmers were growing in their fields, which changed often with the prevailing season. He said they got to know about availability only after farmers harvest and got it to an auction place or wholesale market. Maduko also explained that when farmers registered they would capture all their produce details, harvest periods, expected yields and expected price, then buyers would get all details and contact farmers directly through the mobile phone. He added that this process had made it easier for the farmers to get market for their goods while the buyers were also at ease to locate availability of any farm produce wherever they might be.