By Victor Ayoo
Benue State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Timothy Ijir, has shared his thoughts about government efforts in providing subsidized inputs to farmers.
According to him, the ministry would soon secure Exco approval to procure farm inputs like seeds, fertilizer and other agro chemicals this cropping season.
Dr Ijir who made this disclosure to The Voice in his office recently, assured that government was committed to the project and would engage vendors and suppliers to purchase fertilizer and agro inputs for the benefit of Benue farmers. He said government usually used the subsidy programme to ease the high cost of fertilizer in the market for farmers to enjoy the benefit of their labour.
The commissioner explained that government’s aim was to supplement or help farmers with inputs, as yearly they were being exploited with open market prices, which he seemed as necessary to reduce the cost he stated that government had a limit based on the budget which determined what to acquire to distribute to farmers.
Dr Ijir, who was optimistic, said 75 trucks of assorted brands of fertilizer were purchased in 2019, but hoped that more would be bought in 2021, depending on what government authorized the ministry to do. He added that Benue farmers would enjoy 50 percent subsidy of fertilizer this farming season.