Farmers call for govt assistance

From Fisayo Akinduro, Osogbo
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Farmers in Osun state have called on government to assist them with loans and seedlings for the growth of agriculture in the country. The Deputy Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Osun chapter, Mr Moses Oladipupo made the call in Osogbo while decrying the challenges farmers are facing.

He said majority of real farmers are not benefiting from government interventions and programmes because the programmes are mostly hijacked by politicians and those close to the government.

He decried the suffering and pain real farmers had to endure to keep operating, saying that a lot of them are frustrated.

He stressed that it was becoming difficult to encourage the younger generation to go into farming business because of so many challenges farmers are facing.

“The state government early this year called farmers to a meeting where it promised to provide farmers with land for farming, tractor and seedlings to assist them in their operations.

“So far, it is yet to fulfill the promise, largely due to the economic situation of the state which it claimed had incapacitated it.

”But the state government keeps assuring us of its commitment to assisting farmers in the state,“ he said.

“Government should give us assistance directly without the involvement of politicians.”

He, however, noted that Governor Gboyega Oyetola, through his wife, had given out N10, 000 soft loan, each, to about 100 women farmers for vegetable cultivation, for three months.

According to the deputy chairman, AFAN had taken steps to get assistance from the Federal Government.

While lamenting the suffering farmers are facing, he urged government to provide loans, chemicals and seedlings forfarmers at the right time and season.