The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has appealed to the federal government to provide a minimum of one tractor and bulldozer for farmers in the 774 local government areas in the country to boost food production, stating that they have been disenfranchised.
AFAN’s chairman, Femi Oke, told journalists in Lagos State on Monday that the tractor-hiring scheme implemented during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime only favored politically connected farmers and neglected smallholder farmers.
He described the tractor program as a hoax, as farmers did not see it as genuine assistance from the federal government.
“As for the tractor policy of the previous government, it is nothing to write home about because the tractors were not adequately distributed,” Mr. Oke said.
He added, “Many farmers cannot access the tractors because they were given to politically connected farmers.”
Mr. Oke emphasized that providing farmers with machinery would subsidize farming activities and contribute to national food security.
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He stated, “We urge the federal government to provide at least one tractor and bulldozer in each of the 774 local government areas in the country. By doing this, every farmer within the local government would have access to the machinery to assist in crop farming.”
The AFAN chairman highlighted that the increased price of petrol has affected farmers across all sectors and called for urgent intervention, as the prices of all food commodities have risen.
He said, “What we believe will have an immediate impact on farming activities is a subsidy on inputs and agricultural machinery for maize, rice, poultry, vegetable, and fish farmers.
We want the government to assist us in land clearing by providing each local government area with bulldozers and tractors. The cost of everything in the country has skyrocketed.”
Additionally, the chairman urged the federal and state governments to employ and deploy more extension officers to various farm settlements to provide services to farmers.
He explained that extension officers play a crucial role in guiding farmers by providing the latest information on best agronomic practices.
“We do not want to go on strike because people must eat, but we can only reduce what we produce, and that will bring hardship to the people, and we do not want that,” said the AFAN leader.
