Key summary
- The Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Delta Chapter, Chief Sylvanus Ejezie, predicts a food shortfall this year due to various challenges facing farmers in Delta State.
- Challenges include difficulties in securing inputs for the year’s farming season, defiled weather predictions, the burden of finding the cash to buy inputs from locals who do not have bank accounts, and the current cashless policy.
- Ejezie warns that food production would drop and prices would most likely rise above what is currently experienced before the end of the year if the government fails to give support now, and advises farmers to produce what their families can eat and enough to support their neighbors.
The Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Delta Chapter, Chief Sylvanus Ejezie, has predicted a food shortfall this year and has called on the government to intervene to prevent it.
Ejezie made the prediction in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Asaba.
Ejezie cited various challenges that have affected the process of food production, including difficulties in securing inputs for the year’s farming season, defiled weather predictions, the burden of finding the cash to buy inputs from locals who do not have bank accounts, and the current cashless policy.
He said, “As we speak, we are waiting for the heavy rains to come before we begin the land preparation for rice cultivation. No meaningful rainfall in Delta. We are looking towards April and May when heavy rains will fall and wet the ground before we can start the process of planting our rice. For now, our farmers are warming up, we are buying chemicals and other inputs to get ready for planting when the rains come. So, we are waiting and when the rain falls, we shall apply herbicides and start ploughing and harrowing of the soil, but for now, the weather is still very hot here.”
Waiting for rain: Ejezie continued, “If you consider the cost of diesel to power tractors, the cost of buying naira and rising cost of agricultural inputs, labor, and others, these no doubt will add to the cost of production and by implication will reduce output and cause prices of produce to rise. With all the challenges facing farmers now, there is no doubt that food production would drop, and prices most likely will rise above what we currently experience before the end of the year.”
Advice for farmers: Despite the challenges, Ejezie advised farmers to endeavor to produce what their families could eat and possibly enough to support their neighbors. “The rain is delayed, but we are discussing to ensure that farmers target April/May to plant their rice and harvest before August to beat the NiMet predicted flooding later this year.”
Government intervention: Ejezie warned that food production would drop and prices would most likely rise above what is currently experienced before the end of the year if the government fails to give support now. He also expressed his opinion that rural farmers, particularly those who sell seedlings, are not ready for the cashless policy as they do not have bank accounts and need cash.
- “As an association, we buy inputs in bulk. And due to the scarcity of cash, we do transfer to our customers, but the network has not been friendly, and it is often difficult to connect.
- “Most times, we have failed transactions that demand we should wait for 14 working days to rectify and complete such transactions at the bank. Besides, as farmers, we do not have money to feed our families now, we even had to pay N4,000 to get N10,000 cash from the POS vendors to survive.”
- “In fact, farmers are in real trouble now that it will be difficult for most of us to buy inputs for the year’s farming season if the government fails to give support now.”
