By George George Idowu
Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has disclosed that the federal government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has donated 60 trucks of fertilizers to Benue farmers
Also, the former Speaker Plateau State House of Assembly, Dalyop Fom, has donated 1,000 bags of 25kg fertilizer to farmers across the 67 hamlets of Kuru District, Jos South Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Alia disclosed the Federal Government gesture on Wednesday at a ceremony in Makurdi to mark the commencement of the 2024 cropping season and the distribution of agricultural inputs.
The governor emphasized that these inputs should be distributed free of charge to genuine, registered farmers. He highlighted that these resources would boost yields and revenue, thereby enhancing food security.
He urged farmers to adopt Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to improve their yields and profits.
He also called on the youth to engage in agriculture, noting that the government is prioritizing the sector in its development plans.
According to him, funds are available to support young people in agriculture, and he advised them to form cooperative societies of 10 to 15 members to access these funds. He promised free tractor services and improved seedlings.
In his words: “The federal and state governments have the citizens’ best interests at heart,” Alia said. “Sow seeds of prosperity today for a bountiful harvest tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prof. Moses Ogbaji praised the governor for providing unprecedented support to the ministry.
He thanked Alia for promptly paying counterpart funding for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Bank.
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Prof. Ogbaji also noted that the governor had reactivated the Swine Project at the Akperan Orshi Polytechnic in Yandev, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue.
In a relates development, the immediate past Deputy Speaker of the Plateau House of Assembly, Mr. Dalyop Fom has donated 1,000 bags of 25kg fertilizer to farmers across the 67 hamlets of Kuru District, Jos South Local Government Area of the state.
Presenting the fertilizer on Wednesday in Kuru, Fom stated that the gesture aims to boost agricultural activities and ensure better yields.
He added that this initiative complements the agricultural drive of Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s administration in addressing food insecurity in the state.
He said: “My people are predominantly farmers and are struggling to buy fertilizer, so I decided to support some of these farmers in my little way.
“At the moment, I’m not occupying any political position, but I know times are hard. Because God has been gracious and merciful to me, I deem it fit to extend the same to others, particularly those in my immediate community,” he added.
Fom emphasized that the fertilizer is not just for his party members but for those who genuinely need it, with an all-inclusive sharing formula to ensure fair distribution.
Mr. Peter Vwang-Dung, the Transition Implementation Committee Chairman of Jos South, commended Fom for the donation, noting that it comes at a time of serious economic hardship and will significantly alleviate the beneficiaries’ struggles in accessing fertilizer.
He urged the recipients not to sell the fertilizer but to put it to good use.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Bulus Kwis thanked Fom for the kind gesture and promised to use the fertilizer to improve their yields.
“This support is timely because we have been grappling with the high cost of fertilizer in the market, which most of us can not afford,” he said.
