Felix Omoh-Asun in Benin
The federal government has started the distribution of fertilizers to farmers in Edo State, under the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) initiative.
During the commencement of the distribution, in Benin over the weekend, no fewer than 12,160 bags of fertilizers were given to the Edo State Chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
Mohammed Ibrahim, Executive Secretary of NADF flagged-off the distribution of the fertilizers.
Ibrahim, represented by Sam Idiale, Senior Manager, NADF, said the initiative was geared towards addressing food security by ensuring that the yields of farmers are increased.
According to him, the initiative is a reflection of the federal government’s continued commitment towards ensuring food availability and security, improving rural livelihoods, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices across the country.
He urged the farmers to make good use of the fertilizers for the purpose they were meant, advising against selling them.
While assuring that more are underway for farmers in the state, he posited that selling them may negatively undermine the state’s chances of getting more interventions in the future.
“There are more interventions that will come to Edo state. If you sell this fertilizer, it will negatively affect the future programmes that are supposed to come to the state”, he said.
He said the fertilizers are only for profiled farmers, and not for political patronage.
On her part, Patricia Imade, Edo State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, also cautioned against the selling of governments’ interventionist inputs and products like fertilizer.
Imade also urged the beneficiaries to make good use and applied the fertilizer wisely in line with the agriculturists recommendations to grow more crops and food to feed the teeming populations.
Earlier, Joe Usaigbu, the Edo State chairman of AFAN, commended the federal government and NADF for the initiative, noting that it would greatly impact the yields of farmers in the state.
He also appealed to the farmers not to sell the products, adding that they are gestures from the government to boost food production and security in the state.