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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Farmers in Benue State have appealed to the state government to intensify efforts and provide them with improved seedlings and inputs to enable them to produce quality food for the nation.
The Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, (AFAN), Benue State chapter, Mr Aondongu Saaku, made this call while speaking to our correspondent in Makurdi, on Thursday.
Saaku who lamented the losses uncured by some of his members said the call was necessary to enable them to cushion the effects and be able to continue with their farming activities.
The AFAN chairman said his members, particularly, the okro farmers, were hit by a strange disease as a result of which many of them lost fields of okro farms.
He explained: “You have the fungi and the bacterial diseases. Both of them are disturbing okro this year and we are experiencing this only this year.”
He said, “Our researchers are already in the field to find out what is the problem and how we can stop it.”
Saaku who described okro as a food item for most households and a business item for farmers lamented that “A pan of okro of about 10kg could go for over N20,000 but now, you could get just five pieces of okro for N100. A family of three can no longer cook with N100 okro because it is costly this year.
“If our farmers had up to N200 million in other years, they cannot boast of N50,000 this year. They have lost up to N200 million this year alone and we are worried as other plants are also being affected.”
Our correspondent reports that recently, the Benue state Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, flagged fertilizer distribution to farmers in the state at a subsidized rate.
The leader of farmers in Benue said “We want improved seeds and other inputs, especially the organic inputs to boost farmers production.”
