By Victoria Onehi
The Chairman FCT Chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN),Mrs Perpetual Nkechi Okafor has called on the federal government to empower farmers with finance,fertilisers, inputs to achieve food security for the nation.
Okafor disclosed this at the AFAN FCT Chapter Farmers’ Day 2024, with the theme ‘Empowering FCT farmers for sustainable growth towards Nutrition and Food security.
Okafor said empowerment can be in terms of providing more access to finance for farmers, in terms of knowledge/training so farmers capacity can be built to enable them compete with other farmers in other parts of the world.
“We are here to celebrate our togetherness as we join other farmers around the globe to celebrate World Food Day 2024. We appeal for support in other to enable us contribute our quota towards achieving Nutrition and Food Security in Nigeria.
” We need Federal Government intervention in the area of fertiliser provision,inputs and access to finance. The fertiliser that government gave this year,no AFAN member got it in FCT. We are not portfolio farmers.AFAN is an umbrella body of farmers in Nigeria hence, government should work directly with us.When we get the inputs, fertiliser and other equipment from government,it will get to the farmers.”She said.
Again, Okafor added that there will not be food security if farms and farmers are not secured,hence government should do all it can to improve the security of lives and farmlands.
Corroborating some of the challenges farmers face,another farmer,Mrs Ayinde Josephine who led the farmers from Bwari Area council said lack of inputs, fertiliser and finance are some of the challenges farmers face. ” Most times, government bring inputs,fertiliser and grants but ‘big men’ will hijack it.Some portfolio farmers will collect the fertiliser and inputs and it will not get to the real farmers.
” If government will find a way to give farmers these fertilisers, inputs and grants directly through our association AFAN and Cooperatives,it will get to the farmers.” She said.
She task the government to also find a lasting solution to the herder/farmers crisis.
Director at the Agricultural Biotechnology Department at the National Biotechnology Development Agency,Dr Rose Gidado said smallholder farmers, who constitute the majority of the agricultural workforce in
many developing countries, often face challenges related to low productivity, limited access to resources, and vulnerability to pests and diseases but biotechnology seeds can provide farmers with tools to improve their yields and income.
She said, “One of the significant advantages of biotechnology seeds is their potential to reduce the need for chemical inputs such as pesticides
and fertilisers.” She urged farmers to go for improves seedlings to get high yields.
