A commercial rice farmer in Delta, Mr Raymos Guanah, has lauded the state government’s policy to sell tractors to farmers at 60 per cent subsidised rates.
Guanah told the Food Farm News (FFN) in Asaba on Sunday that the policy was a step in the right direction, but cautioned against its politicization.
According to him, the politicization of the policy can result in genuine farmers not benefiting from it.
He advised that the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration should ensure that the “real farmers” and not “political party farmers” actually benefited from the policy.
He said government should effectively monitor the use of the equipment when purchased and distributed.
The policy is part of the state government’s programme on agriculture, aimed at ensuring food security and mass employment for the youths in the state.
According to him, if government keeps its promise to give out tractors to farmers’ cooperatives and big time farmers in the state, the state will be good for it.
“But my fear is that the tractors may end up in the hands of political farmers.
“Unfortunately, there were similar policies implemented by past administrations in the state and everything ended up in the hands of politicians who had no need for such equipment but sold them,” he said.
Guanah said the state government should also ensure that farmers who would benefit from the administration’s agricultural loan scheme pay back such loans promptly.
He also urged the state government to set targets for the real farmers on levels of production and number of employment opportunities to be created within a certain time frame.
“So, government should give us the necessary support and set a target for us,’’ he said.
He said that if the state government identified real farmers and implement the policy well, Delta would process and export agricultural products in the next three years.
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