The Federal Government has solicited for more financial support and opportunities to enhance production, processing and up-scaling of investment in the potato value chain.
In a statement, Chief Information Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, quoted the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mustapha Shehuri, as saying this at the first international Potato Value Chain and Roots Summit in Plateau State.
The theme of the summit was “Repositioning Potato and Root Crops Agribusiness in Plateau State issues, challenges and prospects”.
Shehuri said agriculture, being the focus of the Federal Government’s diversification agenda, deserves a better agro-financing to provide credit facilities to support the sector’s Value Chain activities.
He said the ministry would explore the opportunities and resources available to support subsequent initiatives that would boost Potato and other Root Crops Production and Processing.
The Minister said that some of the measures taken to tackle these challenges included the establishment of Tissue Culture Centre at the National Root Crop Research Institute Sub-station, Jos, Plateau state, to solve the seed problems.
