Hundreds of farmers in Gombe State have raised concerns on the non-distribution of free fertilisers donated by the federal government to support farming activities in the state.
Wet season farmers across the state expressed concerns in separate interviews with Weekend Trust correspondent, who visited two local government areas each from the three senatorial districts of the state, and conducted an investigation over the matter.
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had on June 20, while inaugurating the sale of subsidised fertiliser to farmers for the 2024 wet season, announced that the Federal Government had donated 2,000 tonnes of fertilisers for free distribution to farmers in the state.
The governor added that the state government had also procured 2,000 tonnes of fertiliser for sale to the farmers at a subsidised rate of N22,000.
However, farmers in the state have lamented their inability to access the fertilisers to support their farming activities during the wet season, alleging that the commodity was not distributed.
While the state government insisted that both the subsidised and free fertilisers were distributed to “real farmers” in the state; peasant farmers told Weekend Trust that they have not received a single bag of the free fertiliser, with some alleging that they have paid for the product but could not get it.
According to them, they didn’t get the free fertiliser donated by the federal government despite several efforts, both in groups and individually.
A farmer in Billiri LGA of the state, Mr Ayuba Ali, said farmers in his community and the neighbouring villages did not benefit from the free fertilisers.
According to him, the free fertilisers would have empowered peasant farmers to boost food production, increase farmers’ income as well as the livelihoods of rural dwellers.
On his part, Malam Umar Hamisu, a sorghum and wheat farmer in Nafada LGA, lamented that the 2024 cropping season was the worst for farmers in his area, as they were unable to buy subsidised fertiliser for their farming activities.
He said the high cost of fertilisers and other agrochemicals, and the lack of support from the government, contributed greatly to their predicament.
“We were told that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu supported farmers in the state with fertilisers for free distribution, but we didn’t see anything in our villages.
“Even the subsidised fertiliser that we used to buy from the state government over the years didn’t get to us this year,” he said.
Similarly, a rice and maize farmer in Dadin-Kowa town of Yamaltu/Deba LGA, Mrs Esther Bitrus, said that only subsidised fertilisers from the state government were sold at N25,000 to some select people in the area.
According to her, the state government subsidised fertiliser was sold along political party affiliations.
“I bought my fertilisers from the open market, because I didn’t enjoy the federal and the state governments’ fertilisers, so I just made do with the one I could afford.
“But it is not fair that the Federal Government will bring fertilisers for farmers and we don’t enjoy the gesture, especially now that farming has become too expensive for peasant farmers like us,” Mrs Bitrus complained.
In a similar development, Malam Aliyu Kashere, a multi-grain farmer in Akko LGA, said it was painful that farmers who produce food for Gombe and Nigeria were not supported in the state like their colleagues in other places.
He urged the state government to ensure the distribution of the fertilisers to support farmers during the dry season farming.
A 65-year-old retired teacher in Shongom LGA of the state, who is now into farming, Mrs Rita Paul, said she was yet to benefit from the FG’s free fertilisers.
Mrs Paul said with the rising cost of inputs and impact of climate change, farmers ought to be supported to overcome the high cost of farming to boost food security.
She, however, commended the state government for subsidising the fertilisers by 50 per cent, “even though I only got one bag for N25,000 which was grossly inadequate.
“For the other fertilisers from the federal government, we only heard it over the radio but we didn’t get it, and I can authoritatively confirm to you that no farmer here got it because we all visited and interacted among ourselves,” she said.
A smallholder farmer in Gombe metropolis, Mrs Sarah Yakubu, expressed fears that the increasing neglect of farmers in the state would result in food crisis and deepen poverty in the communities.
She expressed concern that, “if the fertilisers from the federal government could be distributed to farmers in Kano and Nasarawa states at no cost, why would Gombe State be different?”
A cross section of farmers, who mostly spoke with our correspondent under the condition of anonymity, alleged that they paid for the subsidised fertiliser but it has not been supplied to them.
“I have paid for seven bags at the rate of N22,000 through a committee appointed by the state government. But I had to get a loan to buy another fertiliser from the market for my maize farm,” a farmer, Ahmad Babayo said.
Our correspondent reports that one large scale farmer in the state had paid for 300 bags of fertiliser, but couldn’t get a single bag as at the time of harvesting his maize farm.
The farmers, therefore, appealed to the state government to distribute the free fertilisers provided by the federal government to farmers across the state, to enable those who are into dry season farming carry out their activities.
“We are yet to get even the subsidised fertiliser, not to talk of the free fertiliser from the federal government, we are appealing to the state government to release the fertiliser to the dry season farmers,” one of the farmers said.
Also, an official of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Gombe State, told our correspondent that none of the affiliated associations under the AFAN received the free fertiliser.
“I can confirm to you that neither AFAN as a body, nor any of the affiliate unions received the free fertiliser donated by the federal government. In fact, one of our members even paid for three hundred bags, but couldn’t get it,” he said.
Also, an official of the North East Commodity Association (NECAS) said none of their members received the free fertiliser from the federal government.
Meanwhile, the Gombe State government has denied allegations that the fertilisers given by the Federal Government to support wet season farming in the state were not distributed.
The state’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives, Dr Barnabas Malle, said contrary to the claims, 4,000 metric tonnes of fertilisers were distributed in the state by both the federal and the state governments to support farmers.
He stated that while 2,000 tonnes were donated to the state by the federal government, the state government procured another 2,000 metric tonnes for sale at a subsidised rate.
According to him, the 2,000 tonnes from the federal government were given to farmers through cooperatives societies, while that of the state government was subsidised by 50 per cent and sold to farmers.
On the complaint by farmers that the federal government fertilisers were not distributed, Dr Malle stated that the fertilisers were given to real farmers in the state and not political ones as alleged.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
