Farmers yet to benefit from agricultural facilities

By Jide Jegede
March 16, 2010 02:41PM

Udo Herbert, the president of the Nigerian Society for Animal Production, has said that loan facilities and other financial aid meant for farmers in the country, are not getting to them.

The animal production researcher said this in Ibadan last Sunday, at a media briefing on his society’s 35th annual national conference holding at the University of Ibadan between March 15 and March 17.

Mr. Herbert specifically mentioned the N200 billion federal government agricultural funds and the FADAMA $440 million intervention fund meant to boost food production in the country, saying, his society and the farmers, for which they were meant, were yet to feel their impact.

“We hope that the billions of naira and millions of U.S. dollars meant for the farmers will reach them one day,” Mr. Herbert said.

“The government needs to invest in the correct area, to reap the desired result. We want the government to ensure that the money is released to the farmers.” With the theme, “Fast-tracking Animal Agriculture in A Challenged Economy”, the conference will be examining the task of providing food for a dragging economy like Nigeria.

Mr. Herbert talked about the effect of the dwindling economic condition on animal production in Nigeria, saying his members are affected by the purchasing power of the citizens who are left with less to spend on food because of poor pay.

He also informed that the conference will discuss the way out of the inordinate flooding of the Nigerian market with imported cow and milk, when the nation has all potentials to produce them in large quantities and higher qualities.