Yam Farmers Want FG To Subsidise Inputs

Some yam farmers in Enugu State have, pleaded with the Federal Government to subsidise farm inputs and assist them with soft loan for better productivity in the next farming season.
The farmers, who made the call in separate interviews with  newsmen, said that, it became imperative for the government to support them since Nigeria had started  exporting yams.
“It is important for both the state and federal government to begin to give soft loans to yam farmers against the next farming season in order to yield more harvest for exportation.
“`We need encouragement from the government now that yams have started yielding foreign exchange for the country through exportation.
“Government should encourage all farmers, especially those planting yam in the next farming season, since tubers of yam are being exported to the developed world for foreign exchange earnings,” a farmer, Mr Chiene Ugochukwu said.
Another farmer, Mr Linus Okafor from Agbani, said this would encourage farmers if financial assistance was given to them through loans as well as subsidising the agricultural inputs.
He said that many youths would be encouraged to join in the yam farming business because they would make much profit from it.
Mr  Uzonna Nnamani, another farmer commended the state government for making farm inputs available to rice farmers and urged them to do same to yam farmers and provide credit facilities.
Matthew Agu, a yam farmer said that if the government really wanted to guarantee food security in Nigeria, it must assist the farmers in subsidising farm inputs for farmers at all levels in the country.
“If government desires to promote food security, they should help to subsidise farm inputs for the farmers, especially yam farmers at all levels in the country.
“It is better we start demanding for the necessary assistance from the government so that there will not be any excuse or delay during next season.”