The Federal Government has provided farmers in Edo State with 18,000 bags of fertiliser. This initiative is aimed at improving food production for the 2024 farming season.
During a meeting with members of the All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Benin, the State chairman, Mr. Bako Dogwo, announced the distribution of these fertilisers. He revealed that the 18,000 bags, transported via 30 trucks, are part of a larger national effort involving 1.652 million bags designated for farmers across Nigeria.
Mr. Dogwo explained that the Federal Government has already covered more than 80% of the cost for these fertilisers, leaving farmers to contribute just 10%. “The Federal Government is bringing so many inputs to Edo State. They are bringing fertilisers and it has paid 80 per cent of the cost of the fertilizer,” he said.
He noted, however, that the Edo State government had not yet fulfilled its share of the funding. Consequently, farmers are required to pay a minimal amount to access the fertilisers. For instance, if the fertiliser costs N20,000, farmers will need to pay only N10,000 to obtain it.
In addition to fertilisers, Mr. Dogwo mentioned that the Central Bank of Nigeria has approved the provision of more fertilisers, along with other essential agricultural inputs such as chemicals, cassava stems, maize, and rice seeds.
Emphasizing the importance of genuine farmers benefiting from this program, Mr. Dogwo stated, “The Federal Government is very serious for every farmer to benefit from its programmes. We are talking about the real farmers and not portfolio farmers. Members of AFAN are all genuine farmers.”
With over 40,000 registered farmers in the association, Mr. Dogwo encouraged unregistered farmers to join AFAN. He hinted that registration costs might increase in the future and stressed the importance of women’s participation in the association. “It would provide them the opportunity to be taught all farming techniques and benefit from inputs and other intervention programmes,” he added.
