Sen. Nwebonyi frowns at late distribution of farm input
Amarachi Ehia, Abakaliki
Senate Deputy Chief Whip and lawmaker representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, Onyekachi Nwebonyi has frowned at the late release of farm inputs to farmers by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Nwebonyi who distributed over 2000 bags of fertilizer to farmers in his Ebonyi North Constituency of Ebonyi state over the weekend called for investigation into the late distribution of farm input.
The deputy Chief whip noted that since cultivation starts from May to July it would be better for the government to distribute the farm much earlier.
He noted that the inputs distributed through the representatives in the National Assembly was a way for the President to bridge food scarcity in the country.
He said, “It is no longer news that part of the problems we are facing today as a country is the food crisis because of our neglect of the agriculture sector. We should remember that in the early 60s and 70s, our country, Nigeria, became the Giant of Africa through Agriculture. But amazingly, when oil was discovered in this country, we abandoned agriculture, and that’s the cause of the hunger ravaging us today. That’s why Mr. President, in his usual way of responding to the problems of Nigeria, decided to share some agriculture incentives and support farmers with farm inputs to guarantee better yield for next year so that the food crisis is a thing of the past.
“That’s why Mr President, through 109 Senatorial districts across the nation, has donated 1,200 bags of fertilizer to each Senatorial zone. But as a Principal Officer, I got double, and I have to make it public; that’s why I got over 2,000 bags of fertilizer. You can see others are sharing 1,200 bags of fertilizer, but I’m sharing 2,200 bags of fertilizer, and that’s accountability, honesty and commitment to duty as I promised Ebonyi North people.
“What I am trying to say is, if you want to give inputs to farmers, give it on time to enable them to plan. It’s because when you give farm inputs to farmers late, like the fertilizer the federal government is bringing now, is a bit late in this part of the country. After all, we are on the verge of harvesting our crops. So, this fertilizer would have come earlier, one or two months back.
“It’s because when you give farm inputs to a farmer on time, it will help such a farmer to plan either to go for one, two or more hectares of land. But when you give the input to an intermediary, it’s a problem, and in most cases, the rationale behind those inputs is usually forfeited.
