As part of efforst to boost food production in Edo State, the Federal Government has empowered farmers State with 18,000 bags of fertilizers for the 2024 farming seasons.
Bako Dogwo, the State chairman of All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN), stated this during a meeting with members of the Association in Benin City.
Dogwo said the 18,000 bags which were equivalent to 30 trucks were out of the 1,652 million bags of fertilizers meant for farmers across the Country.
He said the Federal Government had paid over 80% of its counterpart fund, while the farmers would pay at least 10% for the fertilizers.
“The Federal Government is bringing so many inputs to Edo State. They are bringing fertilizers, and it has paid 80 per cent of the cost of the fertilizer.
“It supposed to be a counterpart funding but our state government, I can’t say why it has not paid its share of the counterpart fund.
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“But it is now left for we farmers to pay at least 10 per cent to get the fertilizer if it comes to the state. For example, If the cost of fertilizer is N20,000 we are going to buy it with N10,000.
“Also, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has just approved another fertilizers that will also come to the state, along with chemicals, inputs such as cassava stems, maize and rice for planting”, he said.
He said the fertilizers were only meant for the actual farmers and not for “portfolio farmers”.
“The Federal Government is very serious for every farmers to benefits from its programmes. We are talking about the real farmers and not portfolio farmers.
“The members of AFAN are all genuine farmers and that was why we refused anyone to say that they are profiling farmers in the state. You cannot know profile farmers. It is we that know who is a farmer and where they farm”, he added.
Dogwo, who said that the Association is made up of over 40,000 registered farmers, however, encouraged those that are yet to join the Association to do so, noting that a time would come when it would cost much to be registered as member.
He also urged members to encourage women to join any of the Association’s affiliates, adding that that would provide them the opportunity to be taught all farming techniques and benefit from inputs and other intervention programmes.
