Farmers laud Borno Govt over fertiliser subsidy
By Peter Uwumarogie
Some farmers in Bayo Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno have commended the state government’s intervention in subsidising and distributing bags of fertiliser to support the rural farmers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno had on July 8, in Kwayar Kusar, inaugurated the sale and distribution of 200 truckloads of NPK fertiliser.
The commodity, according to Zulum would be sold to farmers, across the state at a 50 per cent subsidised rate, to support farmers during the 2026 wet season farming.
The governor also distributed free agricultural inputs to 120,000 farmers to boost food production and improve livelihoods across the state.
The farmers in separate interviews with NAN in Gamadadi community of Bayo LGA on Monday, confirmed receiving the subsidised fertilisers, as their counterparts in Biu, Hawul, Kwayar Kusar and Shani LGAs.
Daudu Hudu, the head of farmers in Gamadadi Ward, said every unit in his ward had received the subsidised fertiliser, reaching over 75 per cent of their farmers in the ward.
Hudu said the commodity, came as a relief to many farmers, in view of the high cost of fertiliser and the unavailability of resources to procure the commodity.
He said that the state government’s intervention in subsidising fertilisers annually had been helpful in retaining many farmers in the vocation, stressing that the high cost of inputs was discouraging most people from farming.
According to him, with the 50 per cent off the market price of the commodity, farmers were able to buy twice as much as they would have bought with their money.
“The state government of Borno is really supporting farmers, especially when you compare with other states; this is why we are commending our Governor, Babagana Zulum.
“Without this support, many farmers would struggle to cultivate their farms and may even abandon their farms which would have affected the food security efforts of government,” he said.
On her part, Mrs Hauwa Shehu told NAN that the support has been of immense impact especially in empowering women farmers who were more affected by high cost of farming inputs.
For Hassan Bayo, a rice farmer from Gamadadi, said he would have abandoned rice cultivating this year but for the fertiliser support from the state government.
They, however, appealed to the Federal Government to reintroduce the Anchor Borrower’s Programme initiated by the previous administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari, to support farmers.
