The chairman of Orhionmwon Farmers Association in Edo state, Mr. Clement Obayuwana, has urged the federal government to support its members with loans and farm inputs to boost productivity.
Obayuwana made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin City on Friday.
He said the call became necessary following the nearness of the 2020 farming seasons, adding that such support would boost farmers’ morale and engender improved productivity.
Obayuwana said the lack of farming inputs and access to loans was among the major challenges being faced by farmers in the state.
The farmers’ association chairman called for the reintroduction of the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) of the Nigerian Agricultural Transformation Agenda, saying that farmers started facing difficulties in accessing inputs when the GES programme was stopped.
“When the GES programme was operational, farm inputs were subsidised and farmers had easier to access to inputs. Government should support farmers with loans; they should also provide farm inputs to enable us cultivate massively,” he said.
