By Sarah NEGEDU
A total of 6,800 bags of fertiliser donated by the Federal Government have been released for distribution to verified farmers in the Federal Capital Territory, with authorities warning against diversion and favouritism in the exercise.
The fertiliser, provided through the National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, was on Thursday handed over by the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the FCT Administration, to the FCT Chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, for distribution to farmers across the six area councils.
The administration said the intervention was aimed at easing the burden of rising agricultural input costs on farmers, boosting food production and strengthening food security in line with the Federal Government’s agricultural support programme.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Tungan Maje, the Mandate Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Abdullahi Ango, warned that the fertiliser must be distributed strictly to genuine farmers captured on the verified list submitted to the National Agricultural Development Fund.
Represented by the Acting Director of Agricultural Services, Kongoli Mustapha, Ango said the secretariat would closely monitor the distribution process and sanction anyone found diverting the farm inputs.
“There must be no shortcuts, no favouritism and no diversion of these inputs. The Secretariat will be closely monitoring every step of this distribution exercise. We will not hesitate to sanction any individual or group found to be undermining this process.”
Ango thanked the Federal Government and the National Agricultural Development Fund for the intervention, describing it as timely support that would help reduce the impact of high production costs on farmers.
He also credited ongoing rural road construction in the FCT with improving access to markets, saying the projects were helping to reduce post-harvest losses by making it easier for farmers to transport their produce.
The Mandate Secretary appealed to farmers to remain patient, assuring them that the administration was working to expand support for the agricultural sector through improved extension services and other interventions aimed at increasing productivity.
Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, FCT Chapter, Dr. Perpetual Okafor, pledged that the association would ensure a transparent distribution process to guarantee that only verified farmers benefited from the intervention.
She commended the Agriculture Secretariat for the timely release of the fertiliser, describing the support as a major boost for farmers during the current farming season.
Officials of the National Agricultural Development Fund and the national leadership of AFAN supervised the handover of the fertiliser.
