Distribution of Expired Seeds, Inputs Will Affect Harvest - Farmers

Farmer

Women farmers in Bauchi State have raised concerns about the distribution of expired agricultural inputs that may hinder bumper harvest envisaged under the Anchor Borrowers Programme.

The women expressed concern in a communiqué issued at the end of a one day budget tracking meeting of women farmers organised by Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative, Bauchi, in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria.

They also identified late distribution of inputs like high yielding seeds, fertilisers and insecticides as other major factors that could frustrate farmers' efforts to boost both rain-fed and dry season farming in the state.

Some of the women, Rifkatu Magaji from Warji Local Government Area and Rhoda Haruna from Bogoro Local Government Area, who spoke at the meeting, said that some of the seeds distributed in their communities were not high yielding varieties.

They said crops that were slated for maturity within three months might take longer to mature.

Other women farmers re-echoed their earlier request for the training and retraining of more extension workers while those already on ground in the communities should be given logistic support to advise farmers on modern farming methods.

While speaking on the agricultural loan scheme, most of the women complained that delay in the disbursement of loans which was always granted farmers in July as against March/April was also hampering farmers' efforts to purchase all the necessary inputs on time.