Stakeholders in the agricultural sector in Plateau State urged farmers to come out en masse and register in the ongoing exercise to enable them to access fertiliser allocation and other inputs.

Reports say that at least five million farmers nationwide will be registered in this year’s Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, according to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Tide also reports that 207 enumerators have already been trained for the effective take-off of the programme in Plateau.

The Manager, Plateau Agricultural Development Programme (PADP), Mr Samuel Dung told newsmen that only registered farmers would benefit from the scheme.

Dung  added that awareness and enlightenment campaigns were being carried out to encourage farmers to register.

He urged farmers who did not register in the 2012 exercise to take advantage of the current exercise to get the maximum benefit of the programme.

He commended the Federal Government for the early training of enumerators, noting that it was an indication of the government’s determination for timely and better implementation this year.

He called on all stakeholders, civil society groups and other community organisations to support government efforts by sending volunteers to be trained for the exercise for effective coverage.

Also speaking, Mrs Sarah Chuang, the Chairperson, Plateau State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), said the association had sensitised its members on the significance of the scheme.

‘We had carried out a series of awareness campaigns using the media, churches, mosques and social groups for a wider outreach.

“ We are hoping that farmers see the need to participate in the registration process.”

She called on other stakeholders to effectively monitor the registration exercise to ensure compliance with the laid down procedure so as to check favouritism, bias and sentiment.

In his comments, Mr Joshua Bitrus, the Plateau Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), told reporters that RIFAN would do its best to ensure that none of its members missed out in this year’s registration.

Bitrus decried the irregularities that marred the exercise in 2012 such as multiple registration, inaccurate data entry, late commencement and inadequate understanding of the programme.

He, however, said he was hopeful that the challenges would be effectively addressed this time around.

Meanwhile, the Director, Plateau Green House of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Daniel Kakwi has said that at least 300,000 farmers would be registered in Plateau State this year.

He said:“126,000 farmers were registered in the 2012 exercise in Plateau, but this year, we intend to register at least 300,000.

‘’Two hundred and seven enumerators, one for each of the 207 federal wards in Plateau and 17 supervisors drawn from the 17 local government areas of the state have been trained for the effective take-off of the scheme.

“Also, for effective coverage there will be two enumerators per ward and one supervisor per local government.”

He added that for efficiency, the supervisors and enumerators were drawn from the existing public institutions and other stakeholders involved in agricultural services.