The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Lagos State Chapter, has called on the Federal Government to channel agricultural interventions through recognised farmers’ associations to ensure support reaches genuine farmers and boosts local rice production.
The Lagos State Chairman of RIFAN, Mr Raphael Hunsa, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
Hunsa commended the Federal Government for its efforts to support the rice sector but said the interventions remained inadequate and often failed to reach the intended beneficiaries.
He alleged that some politicians divert farm inputs by presenting non-farmers as beneficiaries during distribution exercises.
“We appreciate the Federal Government’s efforts to support rice production and ensure the availability of locally produced rice.
“However, the interventions are not enough, and many of the inputs do not get to genuine farmers because some people pose as farmers to benefit from them,” he said.
According to Hunsa, fertilisers distributed under the administration of President Bola Tinubu are sometimes diverted before reaching actual rice farmers.
“When the government provides interventions, politicians bring in individuals who are not farmers to collect fertilisers meant for genuine farmers.
“When farmers are denied these inputs, they become discouraged, and production cannot increase as expected,” he said.
He warned that such practices could create the false impression that government support had reached farmers when many genuine beneficiaries were excluded.
Hunsa urged the Federal Government to distribute agricultural inputs through recognised farmers’ associations to improve transparency, accountability and productivity.
“If the government channels these interventions through farmers’ associations, they will reach the right farmers, production will increase and the sector will continue to grow.
“Local rice production is improving and prices are gradually declining, but sustained government support is needed to further increase output,” he said.
