Following the recent unveiling of a 500-million-dollar Niger Delta Agricultural Investment Fund by the Federal Government to finance large-scale agricultural projects across the nine states of the region, some farmers in the area are appealing to the government to identify and support real farmers.
The farmers say a lot can be achieved if genuine farmers are identified and assisted with seedlings and funding, instead of channeling resources through what they described as portfolio farmers.
The Niger Delta Agricultural Development and Investment Fund was launched by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who also inaugurated the Coordinating Council for Agricultural Development and Investment in the Niger Delta.
The vice president said the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda aimed at attracting large-scale investment into the region’s farming sector.
As laudable as the initiative sounds, farmers across the Niger Delta region are urging government at all levels to locate genuine farmers and assist them. They believe that so much can be achieved if such farmers are identified and assisted directly instead of going through third parties who may not be farmers, but only interested in enriching themselves.
Dr. Henrietta Ogan is a large-scale farmer in Port Harcourt. Her appeal for government is to make loan facilities accessible and less burdensome. Genuine farmers should be identified and assisted.
“Please, I wish government will listen. Attach extension services to them. This same thing is happening in Ghana, and it’s working. Even the small-scale farmers can grow through that.
A fish farmer, Mr. Emmanuel Okpara, still in Port Harcourt, wants the cost of generating power and petrol reduced, which are responsible for the rising cost of fishes.” Even the area of assessing loan becomes a challenge” Okpara lamented.
A farmer in Delta State, Mr. Henry Akpodiete, is optimistic that interventions to reduce the cost of feeds by the government will help farmers. “High cost of material like feed made a lot of farmers to leave the business.”
Another large-scale farmer in Uyo, Dr. Ugo Solomon, who is into livestock and crop farming, says most incentives and grants they hear in the news end up in the hands of portfolio farmers.
Solomon said, “We still have to sink a borehole. You wouldn’t need anything less than one point five million naira to have the whole place irrigated. We Keep hearing so, so billions have been sent to state for farmers.”
Dr. Paddy Ogon is a retired deputy commissioner of police now into large-scale farming in Ogoja, Cross River State. His request is for government intervention, especially in opening up rural roads for the conveyance of farm produce.
“Government should endeavour to supply seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides sold at subsidized rates. If there are no access rural roads to convey these items, a lot of them will be spoilt” Ogon explained.
A young agronomist, Mr. Raymond Akpan, who is into cucumber, tomato, and okra farming, says proper skills and funding are required while urging government to support the youths and other genuine farmers.
“Government has been trying, but should try to come close to the real farmers, meet the farmers one-on-one. Most time they should send their agents to go down to where they have farms” he appealed.
An Academic, Professor Andrew Efisue from Ondo State advocates more training and retraining of genuine farmers by the government and availability of funds.
Dr Efisue’s conclusion is that there will be huge transformation in agriculture if the genuine farmers are assisted especially in the Niger Delta region where crude and hydrocarbon business have dominated the interest of youths.
