Mr Adebayo Lasisi, Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Oyo State, has said about 250,000 farmers are expected to be registered by the Federal Government in the state by the end of 2013.
Lasisi told reporters in Ibadan that only 85,000 farmers were registered in 2012 in the state.
He said in the whole country, a total of 5 million farmers were registered in 2012, while another 5 million were expected to be registered this year.
He said with more farmers coming to register in the state, they would be able to benefit better from the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) of the government.
However, Lasisi disclosed that only 16,000 farmers in the state redeemed their e-wallets that would enable them to access the subsidised agricultural inputs at agro-input centres in 2012.
He said there was hope that a greater number would avail themselves of the GES this year, because all the hiccups of 2012 had been addressed and resolved.
“For cocoa farmers, this year, inorganic fertiliser is removed from what they will be given. What remains are subsidised agro-chemicals and insecticides, while cocoa pods will be given to them free of charge.
“The total cost of inputs for them will now be N32,000, but because of subsidy, they will pay N16,000.
“We believe with this great reduction in cost, more cocoa farmers will redeem their wallets this year at the designated agro-input centres,” he explained.
Lasisi recalled that in 2012, the total cost of inputs for each cocoa farmer was N88,000, but they paid N44,000 due to the 50 per cent subsidy.
Source: Tribune
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