Why Kebbi state will not participate in GES, by Agric Commisioner

Alhaji Garba Mohammed Dandiga

The commissioner for Agriculture, Kebbi state, Alhaji Garba Mohammed Dandiga has attributed the late delivery of inputs as one of the reasons why his state will not participate in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) recently rolled out Growth Enhancement Programme (GES) saying subsidy is not what farmers need, but affordability and accessibility of agro inputs.

Speaking to Food Farm News in his office, the commissioner said that in the CBN Rice Anchor Borower programme wonderful experience has proved that sufficient and timely inputs supply to farmers has made the programme recorded huge success saying the two bags of fertilizer and 10kg improved seed of GES cannot give a high yield that is expected in a hectare of cultivated land where about eight bags are needed.

The commissioner argued that government should give support that would ensure affordability and availability of agro inputs into the rural areas for the timely use of end users adding that farmers are ready to pay as long as they have a guarantee of what they are buying.

He said: “our experience in CBN anchor programme has shown that what farmers need is not subsidy but seeds and inputs at the right time in a sufficient quantity and at the right quality. This is what makes the rice anchor programme succeeded. Just two bags of fertilizer of GES cannot in any way help farmers who may not be able to afford the remaining bags from the open market”