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Farmers on Thursday called on the Federal Government to provide subsidies and implement policies to help them achieve nutrition and food security amid hardship and insecurity.
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The President of the Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN), Chief Daniel Okafor, who made the appeal during the annual stakeholders’ forum and farmers training workshop in Abuja, urged the government to help them address security challenges facing smallholder farmers.
He pointed out that in most developed countries where food is sufficient, the government provides subsidies for farmers to enable them to sell food products at an affordable price.
He lamented that the annual budgetary allocation for the agricultural sector among other interventions by the government were not getting to the right beneficiaries.
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Speaking on market and economic trends, he added, “A bag of fertilizer now costs farmers 46,000 Naira, and this high production cost hinders progress in food production, transportation, fuel prices, and exchange rates. The government should be held responsible for policies they are not effectively implementing.”
“We want the government to take this matter seriously and address the suffering of Nigerian farmers, especially at the local level,” he said.
Okafor emphasized the urgency of government grants for farmers, saying, “The rural communities are suffering. The farmers in this country need grants.”
“We’ve submitted proposals to government agencies several times, yet there’s no response. The only way this country will thrive is by doing the right thing,” he said.
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He added, “You cannot tell me the money allocated for Nigerians is being spent elsewhere. The budget is there, but the farmers are getting nothing.”
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Professor of Agriculture and former Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University, Vincent Ado Tenebe, noted that crop production relies on soil fertility.
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“When soil is well-fertilized, crops yield better, securing food production. High-yield crops enable farmers to thrive, ensuring food security,” he said.
Tenebe urged farmers to plan their activities and use adequate fertilizers for crop production, adding that the cost of fertilizer and hiring a tractor for one hectare is steep, with costs reaching up to N50,000.
“High production costs force farmers to raise prices to recover their expenses. If the government provides subsidies, food prices can be kept affordable,” he said.
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