BATN sustains agriculture sector development contributions in rural Nigeria ….. Rewards 209 Farmers at the 2013 BATN/BATIA Productivity Awards

 L-R: Aare of Ago Are, His Royal Highness Jubril Olagoke, Award recipient, Mr Toriola Adigun and Area Head, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, British American Tobacco West Africa, Mr Freddy Messanvi at the BATN/BATIA Farmers Productivity Awards Ceremony in Iseyin, Oyo State.

British American Tobacco Nigeria on February 21, 2013 rewarded 209 deserving farmers as part of the 8^th annual British American Tobacco Iseyin Agronomy Farmers Productivity Awards Scheme.

The Farmers’ Productivity Awards Scheme is an initiative of British American Tobacco Iseyin Agronomy, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco Nigeria designed to improve the farmers’ productivity in terms of quality and volume of yield, as well as encourage their adherence to principles of environmental protection. Provisions of the program to farmers include technical support ,farming inputs, environment management, fair pricing through transparent and assured negotiations, socio-economic development and alternative sources of income through crop rotation which allows the farmers to plant other food crops have been in place since 2005.

In his opening remarks on the occasion, the Corporate and Regulatory Affairs Director, British American Tobacco Nigeria Freddy Messanvi, commended efforts at various levels of government in Nigeria towards transforming the agriculture sector, which he said will impact positively on the country in the near future. His words: “We applaud the Federal, State and Local government for the bold steps they have taken in transforming the agriculture sector. We know that forward thinking policies from our leaders  need active support from the private sector and l see that happening rapidly.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony, the Vice-Chairman Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Sefiu Adegbenga Kaka stressed the need for stakeholders in the sector to be more committed to food and cash crop production to alleviate hunger. He urged the recipients of the awards to reciprocate the kind gesture of the British American Tobacco Nigeria / British American Tobacco Iseyin Agronomy by making use of the equipment’s given to them, to boost efficiency in production.

The Operations Director, British American Tobacco Nigeria, Francisco Toso in his welcome address stated the purpose of the awards: “The aim of the award is to drive a sustainable program which recognises not only productivity with respect to increased yield but most importantly environmental management as key criteria for participation”.

One of the winners, Alhaji Hassan Afonja praised British American Tobacco Iseyin Agronomy for their continuous support to farmers through the rewards scheme. “My business has indeed been given a lift through their support”, he said. Other farmers rewarded are Riskatu Abeke, Ezekiel Ojetunde, Alani Adewunni, Jacob Mobolaji, Muyibi Adedokun, Oyewale Akano amongst many others.

Annually, BAT Iseyin Agronomy partners with more than 700 registered farmers across the South West region of Nigeria in tobacco production. Not only does British American Tobacco Nigeria provide farming inputs and day to day hands-on training in proven best practices for tobacco growing, the company also encourages farmers to embrace environmental protection

principles, adhere to health and safety standards in tobacco leaf processing in addition to eliminating exploitative child labour.

The British American Tobacco Nigeria / British American Tobacco Iseyin Agronomy annual Farmers’ Productivity Award is instituted to recognize and reward farmers who have fully applied the outcomes of the trainings and achieved the best results as a means of fulfilling legitimate economic aspirations.