Agro-inputs’ monitoring group wants Buhari to improve on GES

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja recently, coordinator of the group, Hamma Ali Kwajaffa, said there is need for policy continuation in the agricultural sector to improve the productivity of farmers.He noted that the GES is a laudable programme that reaches farmers directly with farm inputs, adding that it should be improved upon and […]

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja recently, coordinator of the group, Hamma Ali Kwajaffa, said there is need for policy continuation in the agricultural sector to improve the productivity of farmers.
He noted that the GES is a laudable programme that reaches farmers directly with farm inputs, adding that it should be improved upon and strengthened to reach at least 85% of the farmers across the country.
“We pray that it should be improved upon and at no time should it be abolished. We have seen in the past how some people-oriented policies go with the administrations that established them, hence we appeal that this agricultural policy should not be jettisoned but be allowed to work like the card reader,” Kwajaffa urged.
The group appealed to the federal government to tackle the issue of farmers’ access to market to reduce post-harvest losses, adding that government should also embark on massive construction of storage facilities to ensure freshness of farm produce and increased farmers’ earnings.
The group’s objective is to ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of government policy on the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) across MDAs and agencies involved in the implementation of the scheme.
The GES External Monitoring Group also said it has conducted field survey of the 2014 wet season GES beneficiaries across some states in the country and has submitted its findings to the GES Technical Working Group of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) is a programme of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture which distributes farm inputs to farmers in the country directly through the electronic system (e-wallet) through mobile phone text messages (sms).