*say only those in the Northern part of state are favoured
By; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
Farmers in Borno State have cried out for government’s intervention over non availability of fertilizers in the state for the raining farming season, expressing fears over the state government’s inability to flag off sales and distribution of fertilizers at a subsidized rate as earlier done yearly in most states of the federation.
Unfortunately, this is happening at a time that over N1 billion has been budgeted and released for the said 2022 farming season fertilizer purchase and distribution to Borno framers at subsidized rates.
The farmers, who are mostly from the Southern part of the state, insist that, as tradition demands, the timely sales and distribution of fertilizers by the government is long overdue.
They argued that they need the product for effective growth and production since the month of July has passed.
Some of the farmers like Amos Ali, Abdu Isa and Fali Adam, who are small scale farmers from Southern part of the state, appealed passionately for quick government’s intervention.
They argued that, since Governor Zulum came on board in 2019, their hope of getting fertilizer timely and at a subsidized rate has been dashed, as government no longer gives priority to the agricultural sector, especially those at the grassroots.
Another farmer who simply gave his name as Yusuf Inuwa, lamented that in January this year, when Borno State Government under the leadership of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum Zulum flagged off the distribution of agricultural inputs, such as irrigation machines to 500 dry season farmers in Monguno Local Government Area of Northern Borno Senatorial district, nothing of such that took place in Southern Borno, which constitutes the heavy number of those engaged in farming, considering the peaceful atmosphere and favourable climatic condition experienced naturally in the area.
A retired civil servant, now a farmer, who did not want his name mentioned, told our correspondent that, the agric sector under Zulum is only existing on the pages of newspapers, but in the real sense, the sector has been neglected.
Mohammed Kolo, a farmer from Damboa Local Government Area in his reaction, said, “It is unfortunate, even hiring of tractors remain inaccessible to farmers in Southern Borno, due to refusal of the government to deploy tractors to the area during the cultivation period.
“This is even as Borno State Government under the leadership of the former governor, Senator Kashim Shettima claimed procurement of thousands of tractors, but are no where to be found,” he lamented.
Our correspondent observed that due to the situation, a bag of NPK of Urea 50 kg which is also scarce, is sold between N20,000 to N24,000 at the open market, depending on the location, compared to last year, where the products were sold at less than N10,000 per bag, making it very difficult for the reach of a common man.
The new Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Bunu Mustapha, who recently assumed duty following the resignation of the former commissioner, Engineer Bukar Talba, did not pick up his calls, even as a visit to his office at the Musa Usman Secretariat, Maiduguri by our Reporter did not yield a positive result, because, he (Commissioner) was not in the office at press time.
