The Niger State government on Thursday inaugurated the 2020 farming season and announced subsidies for essential farming inputs to farmers in the state.
At the event, Gov. Abubakar Bello explained that the administration would provide fertilizers to farmers for the season in collaboration with fertiliser dealers and companies.
“This framework entails shifting from direct procurement and distribution of fertilisers by government and allowing the private sector to drive the process through their own networks.
“This means that government will now provide subsidies for fertilisers, assorted seeds and agro-chemicals to small scale farmers using the private sector,” he said.
Bello said that the measure was to ensure that the COVID-19 pandemic which had disrupted global socio-economic activities did not impact negatively on farmers in the state.
“The pandemic is also threatening agricultural activities for this season, a situation which has dire consequences on food security of the state and the nation at large,” he said.
Bello said that the policy would give smallholder farmers access to vital production inputs.
The governor, who was represented by Alhaji Ahmed Matane, Secretary to the State Government, said that the exercise would eliminate middlemen, ease availability and access to genuine fertilizers and other inputs.
He said that 15,000 metric tons of fertilisers made up of 10,000 metric tons of NPK and 5,000 metric tons of Urea would be delivered to designated government fertiliser stores in the 25 local government areas for sale to farmers.
Bello said that the commodity would be sold at N5,000 per bag for NPK and N7,000 per bag Urea.
He said that other inputs such as improved varieties of assorted seeds and weed control chemicals had been made available at the sales point for easy access by farmers.
“These inputs include 457 metric tons of assorted seeds and 107,050 litres of assorted agro-chemicals,” the governor said.
Bello said that government had given approval for rehabilitation of five irrigation schemes at Chanchaga, Agaie, Jamaare, Tamanai and Lioji.
At the occasion, Alhaji Shehu Galadima, Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria in the state, urged government to tackle insecurity in some parts of the state to enable farmers go back to farm.
Galadima appealed to government to pay attention to the issue of adulterated fertilizers circulating in the state to curtail the negative effect this will have on farm produce.
He lauded government for making fertilizers and other inputs available, adding that the gesture would cushion the negative effects of COVID-19 on farmersnan.
