Benue regaining lost glory of food basket under Alia

Benue regaining lost glory of food basket under Alia

Benue, the North-Central Nigerian state known for its richness in agricultural production which earned it the appellation:”Food Basket of the Nation” is regaining its lost glory when previous administrations look away while it steadily declined from that enviable position in the country.

The state occupies the chunk of the fertile and swampy Benue Valley, good for cultivation of large-scale rice, cassava, yam, tomatoes and pepper, soya-beans, among many other crops. It is also very good for rearing different kinds of animals while the river after which the state is named makes available large quantity of fish and other aquatic creatures.

Unfortunately, until the coming on board of Rev’d Fr Hyacinth Iormnem Alia, PhD as governor on May 29, 2023, Benue was being deprived of its position as Nigeria’s food basket due majorly to lack of the political will to provide farm inputs and incentives; infrastructure and security of lives and property generally.

However, Governor Alia who has spent most of his 34 years of priesthood in the rural communities of Benue State where agriculture is the major occupation was well aware of this hydra-headed monster and has taken pragmatic steps to tackle it headlong.

To kick start, the governor established the Bureau of Agricultural Development and Mechanisation which subsumed two moribund agencies – Benue State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (BNARDA) and Benue Tractor Hiring Agency (BENTHA).

The major thrust of the bureau is to introduce farmers to smart agriculture – access to technology through intensive extension activities, ensuring that farmers are educated, and that they have access to modern technology, new seeds, new inputs to make them more productive -increase their yields through better extension services.

Through the bureau and other initiatives, agricultural activities are not just bouncing back as it was obtained but there is improvement in yield, making food abundant in the state and beyond, while farmers and other investors in the sector are cashing out.

Part of this efforts was, shortly after taking over the reins of power, Governor Alia’s administration had for the 2023 farming season procured and distributed 100 trucks of inorganic fertilizers, totalling 60,000 bags distributed to farmers across the 23 local government areas in the state, with plans to increase the number in the future.

The governor had also announced a 50 per cent subsidy on fertilizer for Benue farmers in demonstration of his commitment towards supporting farmers in the face of security challenges and economic hardship to enhance agricultural productivity and empowerment of farmers in the state.

The non-nonsense catholic priest has been against any attempts to sabotage the sales and distribution process with a marching order to the state’s Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the task force was established for the purpose of ensuring fair and urgent distribution of fertilizers to farmers while ensuring severe sanctions are imposed on anyone caught engaging in such activities, regardless of their position.

The governor admitted and bemoaned the lack of critical farm inputs to farmers during the past farming seasons and said his administration was poised to support farmers and improve food production in the state, hence the subsidy.

Also, the administration put in place low-interest loans to 27,600 rural women across the state to enable them venture into various businesses and improve their income levels, which will in turn empower women and drive economic growth at the grassroots level.

Read Also: Yobe health workers suspend strike

Earlier in the year, Alia had commissioned 33 new tractors and disbursed N380 million ($250,000) cheques to community interest groups to undertake climate-smart agricultural activities under the Community Revolving Fund (CRF) scheme of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) scheme.

The governor who had already paid the state counterpart funds of N1 billion for the ACReSAL programme, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing the needed support for the programme to continue to thrive in Benue for the overall good of the people of the state.

He declared the immediate creation of ACReSAL as a new agency of government in the state for the purpose of knowledge and skills transfer and acknowledged that  Benue, like many other states in the country, shares numerous challenges such as high poverty rates, a fragile environment, conflicts, degradation of natural resources, low agricultural productivity, and climate-related risks and addressing such challenges requires collective efforts.

In keeping to his promise, the administration for the 2024 farming season procured over 180 truckloads of assorted fertiliser and distributed to farmers at a subsidised rate.

According to the Director General (DG), Bureau of Agricultural Development and Mechanisation, Engr Terese Ninga, all the 23 local government areas in the state had received at least two truckloads of fertiliser, with the quantity varying based on demand and application timing while remaining truckloads were sold at the Bureau’s headquarters in Makurdi.

Ninga noted that this was the first time since 1982 that the government had provided fertiliser and farm inputs to farmers at subsidised rates in May and said the state government was deliberately supporting farmers to ensure food affordability for all residents in line with the commitment of Alia’s administration to boost food production and enhance food security within the state and beyond.

The governor in his speech at the flag-off of the 2024 farming season in Makurdi the state capital maintained that his administration has prioritised the agricultural sector as the lowest hanging fruit to catalyse growth and economic development of Benue State.

He said the renewed strategic partnership with development partners such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain in Rice and Cassava, Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), ACReSAL, among others has opened up new opportunities for value addition and agro-processing, creating jobs and boosting the local economy.

•Asiwaju Abayomi Bodunde is a media consultant based in  Abuja