GRAFAN moves to regulate N100m grasscutter market

Grasscutter Farmers Association of Nigeria (GRAFAN) is making a move to regulate the country‘s grasscutter market which is worth over a N100 million as the association holds its first annual general meeting.

The maiden edition of the meeting was held to look for ways to properly regulate the industry that has high economic potential as Nigeria makes efforts to diversify the economy through the agricultural sector.

“Nigeria’s grasscutter market is very huge but the market is not coordinated and that is what we hope to achieve. People need to know where to go when they need grasscutter meat not looking for the ones hanging at the road side to buy,” said Peter Akparanta, director of research, planning and protocols, GRAFAN at a press briefing during its AGM.

“We want to change that by creating awareness because the market is there but people do not know where to go for it. We want to let the market know where we are and that is why we are putting up this association.

“We intend to have a body that is specialising in the breeding and selling of grasscutters. So that people who are moving away from consuming red meat can see grasscutter as an option because it is a healthy white meat,” Akparanta said.

He stated that most Nigerians are compelled to buy grasscutter meat from the road side owing to their inability to identify a particular market for the rodents, stressing that most of the grasscutters on the road side are dead animals which are not healthy for consumption.

“Most of the grasscutters on the road side are dead animals which are not healthy for consumption but because people do not know where the market is they still patronise them and that is what we intend to change with the association.

“There are smallholders farmers that breed and sell grasscutters and we are looking at establishing a value chain for the industry,” the director added.

Also speaking with journalists, Chinedu Eluwa, national president, GRAFAN said “apart from its popularity as a delicacy in Nigeria, amongst all the rodents that are domesticated, grasscutter is the most profitable economically. The industry is worth over N100million.”

“We are currently discussing with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to replicate the Anchor Borrowers Programme of rice for grasscutter farmers and it will start with five states and spread to all the states of the federation.

“Grasscutter farming is quite capital intensive. Using N78000 to buy a colony is on the high side. If the price is at a good rate more farmers will emerge. Also, posit of Information in the sector are in the hands of few farmers who have been in this business for over 10 years and this is a major challenge facing the industry,” Eluwa said.

The national president stated that the association is also looking at growing, processing and exporting to rodents due to its large potential.

“Apart from the meat the skin is also in high demand in the country for hide and skin. The bones are raw material for pharmaceutical products are they are exportable. Apart from producing for food we can also process them into these various value chain and each is a money spinner on its own,” he further stated.

 

Josephine Okojie