AFAN

Two farmers’ associations in Oyo State have identified land clearing and high cost of inputs as the challenges facing  farmers in the 2022 planting season. 

Mr John Olateru, the Oyo State Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and Mr Kayode Akinade, the Oyo State Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), stated in Ibadan on Sunday. 

The duo called on the government for steady intervention for  farmers to mitigate their challenges and reduce the cost of food commodities in 2022. 

Olateru said “there is no country throughout  the world that left their farmers all alone. They are supporting them in one way or the other. 

“It must be done in a way that farmers will benefit and it will not be hijacked by politicians. Fertilisers issue needs to be resolved. 

“But not only fertilisers there are some other chemicals  and  inputs that farmers are  using  that they need help with that it can bring the economic cost of production down. 

“If the economic cost of production is reduced the price of commodities will be down. The farmers’ output will be available for the public at the highly reduced rate and this will be a betterment for the whole country, a win-win. 

“But if we leave the situation as it is now, I can tell you the cost of feed will continue to go up and the farmers cannot bear the brunch alone; they will pass it on for those uptaking their products.” 

He stated that some of the agricultural inputs that  were without taxes in the past are now  being taxed; tractors, agrochemicals and so on have attracted value added tax at 7.5 per cent and duties minimum of five per cent. 

“This makes 12.5 per cent duties on agriculture input that are being imported and this is contributing to the cost of production thereby high cost of commodities. Whereas these are supposed to be zero duties. 

“Government needs to review these to bring down food prices and attract more people into agriculture and value chains who will not be disappointed, especially the youths as they will get returns on their investments,” he said. 

Also, Akinade said the major challenge which has been constant was land clearing, as there was no money to get the equipment to do it, aside high cost of fertilisers and other logistics. 

“To buy a tractor is out of it because it costs  a huge sum of money. But to hire a tractor to plough now costs N15,000 and N22,000 per acre, depending on one’s location. 

“Before it cost between N7,000 and N8,000 per  acre in 2021, but with the increase it has added to  the cost of production,” Akinade said. 

He emphasised the importance of mechanisation to modern rice farming, stating modular machines have their place but so also big machines like tractors are vital for food production, the absence of which will hinder production. 

Akinade, who is a beneficiary of Anchor Borrowers fund for rice production, also solicit intervention in land preparation for food production to reduce the cost of rice in Nigeria.  

The Kaduna State Chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has appealed for robust government intervention to cushion the effect of rising prices of  Fertilizer, herbicides, improved seeds and other inputs to strengthen food production in Nigeria.  

Alhaji Nuhu Aminu, the state chairman of the Association, said on Wednesday in Zaria that the appealed for the intervention has become imperative as his members had commenced preparations for 2022 wet season farming.  

He said the rising costs of the inputs couple with insecurity threatened food production thereby undermining the looming food security challenges in the state.  

Aminu, therefore, appealed to state and federal governments for early distribution of support to farmers stressing that the planned e-Wallet Initiative of the federal government should be rolled-out in April and early May.  

This, according to him, would address the envisage skyrocket prices of the commodity when the rainy season fully set in.  

He said prices of assorted fertilizer has skyrocketed this year with NPK 20-15-15 costing N20,000 per 50kg bag as against N12,000 and GDAPP was sold at N30,000 as against N15,000 as at April 2021.  

He added that 50Kg bag of urea was sold at N19, 000 as against N11, 000 in April 2021 among others.  

The chairman said the cost of some herbicides that were sold at N1200 in April 2021 was now sold at N2, 500.  

Corroborating, Malam Halliru Hamza a maize farmer lamented over the increase of the prices of farm inputs before the commencement of wet season farming.  

Hamza noted that the prices of both lowland and upland seed varieties for maize have jumped up by almost 30 percent compared to its initial price as at this time last year.  

“I want to advise farmers especially those that have the means to hasten the purchase of their seed now, because the prices may increase profoundly when rainfall begins.” He said.  

He, therefore, appeals to government at all level to come to the aid of Nigerian farmers by subsidizing the prices of improved seeds varieties to enable them achieve bumper harvest.