The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) has advised both farmers and buyers to always use the standardized weights and measures in all their market transactions.
Mr Emmanuel Igbaukum, the Programme Coordinator, IFAD-VCDP in Benue, said this in Makurdi on Thursday at an advocacy meeting on weights and measures.
Represented by Head, Business and Markets, IFAD-VCDP, Igbaukum, said that because many farmers and buyers did not use standard weights and measures, they end up cheating one another in some situations.
He also noted that the non-usage of standard weights and measures would pave way for cheating themselves in another instance.
“This has to be corrected so that farmers, buyers or off-takers will have value for their products and money as in the case of buyers as well as off-takers.
“Therefore, standard weights and measures should be used by farmers and buyers at all times, both in or outside the conventional markets.
“By so doing both farmers and buyers will be sure of the quantity of the produce they are selling or buying,” he said.
The National Programme Coordinator, Dr Ameh Onoja, said that weights and measures were very important because it helped both farmers and buyers to sell or buy produce without being cheated.
Onoja said that IFAD-VCDP would not support farmers who were not ready to adopt weights and measures as a means of selling their produce.
Mrs Member Angwe, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Investment, said that with strict supervision of the weights and measures cheating on the side of farmers and buyers would be curtailed.
The permanent secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Elvis Attah, said that weights and measures were fair as well as honest to both farmers and buyers.
Represented by the Director of Livestock, Mr Edward Amande, Attah appealed to the Federal Government to ensure that the standard weights and measures were used across markets in the country.
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