Benue fish farmers get GES inputs.

 By  Nenge Liam-Markurdi

Recently 400   registered fish farmers benefitted in the distribution of 500 juveniles each and 50% subsidized fish feeds of 15kg (5 bags) at N12, 500 as against the market price of N5, 000, 00 under GES scheme. Added to this, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) is to train and offer free expert services to the fish farmers on best management practices that will enhance increase productivity and production.

On the occasion, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture noted that Nigeria is shifting from subsistence farming to Agriculture as a business. The minister told fish farmers to take farming as a business so as to boost not only their income but that of the country’s exports’ drive.

Represented by the Acting State Director of Agriculture, Dr. Obute Godwin Garba who disclosed further that the federal Government had a compensation programme for fish folks who lost their stock and farm equipment as a result of the devastating 2012 flood, reiterating Government’s resolve to restore the protein gap caused by the ill result of the flood.

Benue State commissioners for Agriculture Mr. Donald .A. Gbugho frowned at the way people now obtain resources from land and water, causing irreversible changes that are degrading the natural processes that support life on earth.

The commissioner appealed to fishermen to therefore desist from the use of obnoxious fishing practice to stop our rivers and lakes from running out of fishes thereby advised farmers who are beneficiaries of A T A to make judicious use of the inputs and avoid the temptation of selling them off for peanuts.

Two of the beneficiaries Messrs  Peter T. Penda of CTI Ranch opposite NITEL Makurdi and Xtopher Ibier were full of commendation for the Federal Government’s agricultural policy and assured that in the next 4-6 months when the fishes mature, they hope to generate between 400,000 -600,000 Naira while  appealed to Government at all levels to support the fishing industry with fishing nets, boats and canoes among others.

With over 800,000 registered farmers in the state under (GES) who are into farming of yams, cassava, beniseed, soy-beans, guava, tomatoes, pepper, cotton, vegetables, poultry, ginger, fish, livestock, oranges, okro cashews,potatoes and several species of mangoes. Over 120 co-operatives have also registered under the All Farmers Association of Nigeria; the body co-coordinating all the farmers in the state. While majority of these farmers are into small scale farming, a few others are mechanized.

What is naturally sufficient at the disposal of Benue farmers is the fertile soil which thrives and generates high yields even without the application of incentives and scientific inputs like fertilizer and herbicides among others.

Apart from being blessed with arable land, the state can boast of Major Rivers with River Benue, Katsina Ala and Gwer and many other tributaries here and there is also Lake Aketa where fishing has become a tourist event. 

In spite of these God given Agricultural features, the farmers in the state require Government intervention to move to the next level. 

Till the introduction of the Federal Government’s Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) it was always difficult for farmers in the state to access farming input especially fertilizer. The Agricultural reforms introduced by the Minister of Agricultural,Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina has really impacted positively on the farming families in the state. Improved varieties of maize, cassava, rice, water pumps, sprayers, treated sacks fingerlings and feeds were either freely distributed or given to Benue Farmers at subsidized rates under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA)