All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Coordinator in Auchi, Edo, Alhaji Abdulahi Mohammed, is advocating a practical approach to agriculture development in the country as the only way to revamp the sector.

Abdulahi, in an interview with newsmen in Auchi on Sunday, condemned the attitude of states and local governments in the country towards agriculture.

“What they do only amounts to lip service. Some of the policies being introduced by the Federal Government to boost the sector are bound to fail, even before implementation, unless pragmatic measures are taken.

“Specifically, the Growth Enhancement Support Service, one of the new initiatives, is too cumbersome and confusing to the real farmers, who are mostly illiterate.”

Abdulahi stated that about 60 per cent of “real” farmers in Edo would be denied access to farm inputs and implements because they had no idea of the processes under the scheme.

Besides, he said, the processes required completion of many forms and submission of documents, noting that most farmers in the state could not contend with such demands on them.

The coordinator said that farmers perceived the difficult processes as a ploy by the government to deny certain category of people among them access to available credits and materials.

“Most farmers refused to register as they termed the scheme another government gimmick. They are tired of filling forms and not getting anything at the end.

“Even, the forms of most farmers who managed to register were returned as not properly completed and this is because most of them are illiterate, who do not know the difference between acres and hectares.’’

Abdullahi, therefore, urged the government to adopt a practical approach to the development of the agriculture sector.

According to him, governments in the country should deploy an agriculture expert to every ward in each local government across the country as supervisor for all agricultural programmes in that area.

“The supervisor will monitor all farmers in his ward and by so doing, be abreast with their needs and problems. Anything government needs to get across to the farmers will be through the supervisor.”