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.
