FCT farmers: We can’t get enough GES fertiliser

Our reporter who sampled the views of farmers in the FCT on the issue of farm inputs redemption was told by majority of the farmers that they, in fact, only got a negligible amount of fertiliser and seeds this year.One of the farmers, Mr. Samuel Bawa in Abaji Area Council, said he did not even […]

Our reporter who sampled the views of farmers in the FCT on the issue of farm inputs redemption was told by majority of the farmers that they, in fact, only got a negligible amount of fertiliser and seeds this year.
One of the farmers, Mr. Samuel Bawa in Abaji Area Council, said he did not even benefit from the GES programme. “I tried to register but got frustrated because it is time consuming,” he lamented.
Another farmer in Karu, Abuja, who gave his name as Dan Gwari, said he has been hearing about government fertiliser but has never seen it, adding: “I am still waiting to see it. I hear people talking about government fertiliser and I would like to benefit as well.”
However, a farmer in Karshi, AlhajiJibril, agreed that he got the farm inputs this year and expressed his optimistic that there will be bumper harvest as farms in the territory are flourishing.          
When contacted for comment, FCT GES Coordinator, AlhajiOvurevu Isa Ademoh, said that more than 80% of the registered farmers have redeemed their inputs this year.
Debunking the farmers claim in an exclusive interview in Abuja recently, AlhajiAdemoh told Daily Trust that out of the 100,008 registered farmers in the FCT, 83,994 got two bags of fertilizers and one bag of either maize or rice seed, each, during the 2014 rainy season farm inputs distribution.
The coordinator said: “The records are there, some of the farmers are not telling the truth, even if they get it, they will tell you they didn’t, because they think you want to give more. Research and experience have shown over the years that some farmers are like that.”