The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has commended the administration of President Bola Tinubu for initiatives aimed at boosting agricultural development and supporting farmers across the country.
The Acting Chairman of AFAN in Lagos State, Mr Sakin Agbayewa, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos while assessing the administration’s performance in the agriculture sector.
Agbayewa said the government had performed relatively well through the provision of farm inputs and interventions targeted at farmers.
“As an association, we will say President Bola Tinubu’s administration has relatively done well in the agriculture sector.
“This administration, in its fight against food insecurity, has provided several interventions for local farmers across the country,” he said.
He said the National Agricultural Development Fund was set to distribute fertilizers to farmers in Lagos as part of ongoing support for the planting season.
“The government is stepping up efforts to provide fertilizers for farmers for this planting season, and that is a good move,” he said.
Agbayewa also said the government had created opportunities for farmers to access zero-interest loans for the purchase of agricultural inputs.
“As I speak, the Central Bank of Nigeria is working with agricultural associations to make fertilizers available to farmers at cheaper rates.
“Local farmers are also entitled to loans of up to N300,000 without interest, repayable within a maximum period of six months,” he said.
According to him, farmers are being encouraged to open accounts with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) to access input loans for the cultivation of rice, cassava, beans and soybeans.
“Once farmers register with the BOA, they can access those loans with ease.
“With all these efforts the Tinubu administration is putting into the sector, they have done well,” he said.
Agbayewa, however, urged the government to ensure that agricultural interventions reached the intended beneficiaries.
“Whatever agricultural input or intervention the government is giving out, if farmers cannot access them, it will amount to rubbishing the government’s effort in the sector.
“That is why the government must do more to ensure that its interventions get to the farmers they are meant for,” he said.
He also appealed to the government to improve security on farmlands across the country.
“As farmers, we will appreciate this administration concentrating on securing our farmlands.
“The government should do whatever it takes to flush bandits from our farms so that we can cultivate food for the nation in peace,” he said. (NAN)
