By Mercy Omoike
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos State chapter, has commended the Federal Government for distributing fertilisers to 79,040 farmers across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Acting Chairman of AFAN in Lagos State, Mr Sakin Agbayewa, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
He described the intervention as timely, noting that it would ease production costs for farmers and boost food production nationwide.
According to him, the fertilisers are being distributed through the Nigeria Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) to about 3,040 farmers in each beneficiary state.
“We are excited about the Federal Government’s distribution of fertilisers to local farmers. This intervention is indeed timely.
“The fertilisers are being channelled through the NADF across 26 states and the FCT.
“About 3,040 farmers in each beneficiary state will receive four bags of fertiliser each,” he said.
Agbayewa said the fertilisers were being distributed through AFAN under the leadership of its National President, Mr Farouk Mudi, to ensure they reached genuine farmers.
He said modalities for the distribution were unveiled at a recent national meeting of the association.
According to him, the North-Central distribution will begin on Tuesday in Niger State, while the South-West distribution will be flagged off on Wednesday and Thursday in Ado-Ekiti.
He added that the official national launch would take place in Abuja on Saturday.
“By Wednesday, the fertilisers will be handed over to AFAN South-West. For now, they are being warehoused by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security,” he said.
Agbayewa said the intervention would significantly reduce farmers’ production costs, given the current high prices of agricultural inputs.
“We have consistently complained about the rising cost of farming inputs. We are glad that the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, has listened to the concerns of farmers.
“This intervention will help lower the cost burden on farmers, as the fertilisers are being provided free of charge.
“The value of the four bags allocated to each farmer ranges between N180,000 and N200,000. Removing that expense from production costs translates to substantial savings,” he said.
He added that lower production costs would enable farmers to sell their produce at more affordable prices, thereby improving access to food for consumers.
“This is a positive development for farmers, and we are delighted to be beneficiaries of the intervention,” Agbayewa said.
NAN reports that the beneficiary states are Gombe, Taraba, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kwara, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta and Cross River, as well as the FCT. (NAN)
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