The president of the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), Trevor Gifford has said the farmers union would be partnering the Nigeria government to provide the required technical support to commercial agriculture in Nigeria.

The CFU president who stated this in Ilorin while fielding questions from journalists shortly after paying a courtesy visit to the state governor Dr Bukola Saraki noted with delight that, the Nigerian government and the CFU relationship has brought about the success story of Shonga farm in Kwara State.

Similarly, a call has gone to the federal government to urgently review its agricultural policies in favour of the local farmers with a view to encourage production of farm produce in commercial quantities.

Saraki made the call while receiving the president and members of the CFU in his office at Government House, Ilorin.

Saraki, who observed that agriculture is the key factor that would fast track the Nigerian economy, said the Shonga Commercial Farming Initiative was established to encourage mass production of agricultural produce in the state.

He specifically appealed to the CFU for support in creating an enabling market for agricultural products in Nigeria, expressing worry that 98% of dairy products in the country were imported from abroad.

The governor made a strong case for the local processing of fresh milk in the country to stimulate the economy and discourage the huge spending annually on the importation of powder milk.

He also appealed to the federal government to review the interest rate charged by commercial banks on loans granted to farmers.

Gifford described the Shonga Commercial Farming project as a prototype which could be used not only for commercial farming in Nigeria but the entire Africa and other developing countries.

Gifford said he was in the state to introduce the vice president of the CFU, Mr Charlie Tepps, to Saraki and the new Nigerian farmers.

He also noted with enthusiasm that his union would give the required technical support to commercial agriculture in Nigeria.

The CFU president disclosed that he is in the country to explore collaboration with states and the federal government on the possibility of encouraging commercial agriculture, pointing out that Kwara State and Nasarawa State are the two states where commercial farming is working effectively.

Gifford, however, urged other states to utilise the experience of the new Nigerian farmers in Shonga and encourage other African countries to borrow a leaf from the Kwara project.