Farmers in Plateau State have appealed to governments at all levels to subsidise fertiliser and make it readily available to support food production and reduce hunger across the country.
The farmers, who spoke in Pankshin Local Government Area on Tuesday, said access to affordable fertiliser would increase crop yields and encourage more people to engage in farming.
They noted that although the federal, state and local governments have continued to promote agricultural production, the rising cost of fertiliser remains beyond the reach of many small-scale farmers.
Mr. Wangshak Wutok, a father of four, said many farmers were discouraged from cultivating crops due to the high cost of farm inputs, particularly fertiliser.
“How can a pensioner like me afford N50,000 to buy fertiliser when there are lots of other needs at home?
“Government can assist us by making fertiliser cheap and available so that we can produce our food and live better lives,” he said.
Mrs. Everester Damulup, a widow and mother of four, said her monthly earnings from a cleaning job were insufficient to purchase a bag of fertiliser.
“If we don’t get any help from the government, that means farming is not for us, and the consequence of not farming will be dire for us,” she said.
Damulup appealed to the government to support vulnerable farmers, especially widows who shoulder the responsibilities of both parents.
Also speaking, Mr. Golbak Samson said farming remained the primary source of income for many families, but the high cost of fertiliser was threatening their livelihoods.
“We often hear government sending fertiliser to farmers across the country, which is commendable, but in most cases, these products don’t get to us, the target farmers.
“We normally sell our grains to buy fertiliser, but prices of grains have crashed in the market. How many bags do you have to sell to buy a bag of fertiliser?” he asked.
Samson urged the government to reduce fertiliser prices and ensure farmers have direct access to the product.
Mr. Moses Dasung said farming remains the major source of income for many Nigerians and deserves greater support.
“If the government wants to help us, they can subsidise fertiliser to make it cheap and available. With that, both government and its citizens can benefit,” he said.
On his part, Mr. Jan Sati said declining soil fertility had made the use of fertiliser essential for improved harvests.
“You can’t go into farming without fertiliser. Most of our farmlands are weak because of constant cultivation. The soil needs more nutrients to give better yield,” he said.
Sati also appealed to the government to subsidise fertiliser, arguing that a price of N50,000 per bag is beyond the reach of many farmers.
