All farmers Association of Nigeria ( AFAN) in Delta State on Monday expressed worries following the effects of COVID 19 as it continued to affect farmers thereby creating scarcity of food items from North to the south.
While the Association also expressed sadness over the increasing cases of armed bandits’ attacks on farmers across the country, especially in the Northern part of the country, said that should it continues unchecked, it may have negative consequences on food supply to the south and other part of the country.
The state chairman of the Association, Mr Richard Asenime who spoke to our correspondent said that most of the food needs to the south and other parts of the country come from the North, saying that it is unfortunate that the incessant attacks on farmers by herdsmen and Boko Haram had made things worse hit and increasingly difficult for farmers to continue with their farm business and that has also overtimes reduced their farm yield
He said” The result of this is a sharp drop in the food supply, particularly grains,yams and vegetables from the North to the south.”
Asenime disclosed that Delta State was not excluded from the effects of the herdsmen attacks on farmers in the North, hence the state initiated the Agricultural Economic Recovery Quick win programme approved by the state government in order to check possible hunger that might arise.
He further explained that the programme which would profile 3,000 farmers for the”Operation Feed Delta Now” is a pilot scheme targeted at producing more food for the state with 3,000 farmers in the first instance, adding that six food commodities cassava, maize, rice Poultry,pig and fish would be targeted for the programmes, as all farmers would be moved from low value commodities to higher and valued added farm produce.
