ANAMBRA FARMERS APPEAL FOR GOVERNMENT ASSISTED INPUT TO INCREASE FOOD PRODUCTION

Some farmers in Anambra State have appealed to both federal and state and   governments to provide them with improved seedlings and other farm input to enable them contribute to food security of the nation.  

According to them,  though the COVID-19 pandemic affected their early start of farm clearing, they could still  meet up if government makes good its promises to them for this season.

COVID-19 pandemic no doubt has impacted  negatively on global food system disrupting agricultural value chains and posing risks to household food security.

This explains why both government at all levels have continued to place emphasis on the need for all to embrace agriculture to ensure that the country does not experience food shortage during and after the pandemic.

However according to one of the farmers in Mgbakwu, Awka North Local Government Area, Mr. Sunday Mbamalu,  lack of fertilizers, tractors and improved input from government could jeopardise the policy.

Mr. Mbamalu said though he belonged to a cooperative society, they were yet to get any assistance from government this year.

“We have been hearing on Radio that we should come and carry inputs,  we went to ADP, they said we should go to Headquarters, we went there and there was no seedling to carry, we heard some have collected but we in Awka North are yet to see any,” Mr. Mbamalu narrated.

Another farmer from Ekwulumili, in Nnewi South Local Government Area, Mrs. Chinenye Ezeifedika, said their greatest challenge was lack of feeder roads to the farmlands, especially when they engaged labourers to work for them.

Mrs. Ezeifedika expressed regret that the COVID-19 pandemic had almost shifted government’s  attention as they were yet to receive fertilizer and other input this year.

“We used to get inputs like fertilizer, maize and others, that time they call us on phone we will go and collect it, but since this year we have not seen anything. One painter of fertilizer sells for one thousand, three hundred Naira because of the expenses on transportation,” Mr. Ezeifedika lamented.

Also another farmer, Mr. Frank Odigwe, called on the government to put more efforts in ensuring that farmers in the rural and hard-to-reach areas benefitted from their agricultural initiatives as they were the major contributors to the food security of the nation.

The respondents were unanimous that when government provided all the needed incentives it would encourage farmers to put in their best in realising the food policy, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

UCHE NDEKE