By Barbara Nwaiwu
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has called for increased allocation of agricultural inputs to Benue State, saying the current supply is inadequate to meet the growing needs of farmers and sustain food production.
The appeal was made on Saturday in Makurdi by the Benue State Coordinator of the ministry, Mr Nathaniel Daspan, during an interview.
Daspan said the ministry’s state office monitors agricultural activities and coordinates the distribution of Federal Government-supplied farm inputs across Benue.
He explained that the ministry procures fertilisers, improved seeds, herbicides and insecticides and distributes them to states for allocation to farmers in line with approved guidelines.
According to him, the Benue office ensures transparent distribution of the inputs, with priority given to registered farmer groups, commodity associations, cooperative societies and vulnerable farmers.
Daspan said Benue has more than 400 registered cooperative societies, making it necessary to channel available inputs through organised groups to ensure wider coverage.
He added that the office also monitors agricultural activities across the state and regularly reports farmers’ challenges to the ministry’s headquarters to guide intervention programmes.
The coordinator commended President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agricultural programme, saying it is designed to reduce production costs and improve farmers’ profitability through subsidised farm inputs and equipment.
He, however, expressed concern that Benue receives fewer agricultural inputs than some neighbouring states despite its high demand.
“The inputs are not always enough. When we compare allocations with some other states, Benue appears to receive less, yet the demand here is very high. We need more fertilisers, improved seeds, herbicides, insecticides and farm equipment such as power tillers so that more farmers can benefit,” he said.
Daspan disclosed that the Federal Government had already captured the data of eligible farmers for the 2026 wet season agricultural support programme.
He explained that beneficiaries would access subsidised inputs after registering with the Bank of Agriculture and making the required counterpart payment through the bank.
According to him, the arrangement is intended to minimise abuse in the distribution process, while security agencies will monitor redemption centres to ensure transparency.
Daspan said registration had been completed, but distribution of the 2026 wet season agricultural inputs had yet to begin.
He stressed that timely delivery of farm inputs was essential because agricultural operations are time-sensitive and delays could reduce farmers’ productivity.
The coordinator added that increasing the supply of agricultural inputs would boost farmers’ incomes and help strengthen food security.
