Rice farmers in Kwara state have expressed hope that the Federal Government’s agricultural inputs interventions will improve food production and ensure food security in the country.
Over 2,000 rice farmers benefited from the farm inputs intervention (Agro-Pockets) distributed by the Federal Government.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday on the federal government Agro-Pockets initiative, the state coordinator of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Mallam Mohammed Salihu, said that the farm input intervention distributed would be helpful to all farmers irrespective of their status.
Mallam Salihu also expressed satisfaction with the quality of branded fertilizer, seed, chemicals, organic fertilizer and pesticides that were received by farmers to improve their productivity,
He said, ‘’The redemption of 25 per cent of the total cost of the input by the beneficiaries, with the government paying the balance, is a commendable effort.”
The RIFAN state coordinator urged government at all levels to consider making the inputs intervention totally free for farmers in order to accommodate more beneficiaries, adding that larger number of the farmers live below poverty line and could not afford to pay the 25 per cent to be accommodated.
He lamented the delay in the supply of the inputs by some agro dealers to the beneficiaries as planned.
The rice farmer’s coordinator also called for the introduction of a strategy devoid of bureaucratic bottle neck to ensure timely delivery of the inputs and get rid of wrong beneficiaries.
He appealed to the federal government to incorporate the indigenous agro dealers in the supply of the inputs or channel the input through the commodity association to ensure efficiency of the programme.
He also urged government, to decentralise the work of the service providers to state level to prevent duplication and sending of token text messages to wrong beneficiaries.
The RIFAN coordinator commended Kwara state and the federal government for supporting farmers with inputs.
He assured of support of rice farmers in supporting government policies and programmes aimed at making food available and affordable to the general public.
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