The Council of Ministers has approved a bill that looks to formalise contract farming models. Federal officials hope to encourage expanding a demand-driven farming system by rolling out a legal framework that allows agro-processing industries to source raw materials from millions of small-scale farmers. In the making for the past five years, the bill was initially under the Agricultural Transformation Institute (formerly an Agency) before the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) took over the mandate three years ago. It intends to legalise contract farming models. Contract farming has been limited to a few agricultural commodities, including oilseeds, sugarcane, and barley. The bill will be tabled to lawmakers when Parliament reconvenes next month.