Farmers across the country have criticised the plan by the Federal Government to distribute mobile phones to 10 million farmers.
They described it as a misplaced priority.
Some of them who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH said they needed access to funds instead.
A member of the All
Farmers Association of Nigeria in Delta State, Dr. John Akwara, said
phones do not appear on the list of priorities of an average Nigerian
farmer.
He said, “What we need
are funds not phones. We also need to see some sincerity in the people
who are in the ministry of agriculture because they are fond of
‘cornering’ things meant for farmers for their personal use.
“If government really
wants to help farmers, they should help us with better access to funds.
Some of us need funds to set up our farms and others need funds to
expand. Bank interest rates are too high; average farmers can’t get
loans from banks. So, government should make sure we get these funds.”
Akwara added that
government’s intervention funds for agriculture never got to farmers
because politicians and civil servants ‘hijacked’ them.
“All the money government
approves for agriculture does not get to farmers. Politicians and those
in the ministry of agriculture end up being the beneficiaries. For
example here in Delta State, they use some funds approved for farmers to
empower political thugs. They told them to form a cooperative society
and once they did, the money was allocated to them in the name of
farmers,” he said.
Another farmer in Ogun
State, Mr. Omotayo Omotayo, described the idea of giving phones to
farmers as unnecessary since most farmers already own mobile phones and
have been using them to connect with their market.
She said, “I don’t think
buying mobile phones for farmers is important. There is hardly any
serious farmer that does not have a phone or a means of communicating
with his or her customers.
“The idea doesn’t hold
water because, at least here in Ogun State, we have the Agricultural
Development Programme. They usually go into the rural areas to educate
farmers on new farming techniques. So, I don’t think farmers need to
receive such information on mobile phones.”
Omotayo, who is the
Managing Director of Duke’s Farm, Ijebu-Ode, said the government should
buy farm implements for farmers instead.
According to another
farmer, who is a member of the Catfish Farmers Forum, Benjamin Samson,
government should give out loans to farmers instead.
“Phones have become very cheap. So, any
farmer that needs a phone can buy it. What we want is for government to
give us loans,” he said.
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Shey i I tok am, mrs odusote ?
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The use of moble phone for farmer is very important, but the paramort issue is goverment should provide. Farm marterials for farmers.
ReplyDeleteYou don’t get it. The phones are the government’s way of knowing who you are, where you are, what you’re saying and to whom. So, that’s why it’s their priority and why everyone will get one.
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