Rice farmer calls for reduction in prices of farm inputs

 The Chief Executive Officer, ORAM Rice Mill Ltd., Mr Adenekan Ayodele, has called for reduction in the prices of farm inputs in the country to encourage more people to embrace farming.

Ayodele made the call in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

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He said that it would be very encouraging to farmers if government effected 50 per cent reduction in the prices of farm inputs across the country.

He said that such reduction would encourage more people to go into farming as well as boost food production in the country.

“Government should  give us fertilisers, seeds and chemicals at 50 per cent cost reduction. This will encourage more farmers and help increase productivity and availability of food for everyone.

“Loan is good, but farming system does not support loans except if the farm is insured. A lot  of natural disasters occur and if an affected farmer collected a loan, it would be very difficult to repay,’’ Ayodele  said.

The rice farmer, however, attributed the high cost of rice in the country to unavailability of funds fòr farmers as well as the current closure of the land borders.

“The truth is that the closure of borders caught a lot of farmers unaware. We were not prepare for it.

“But with time the price of rice will go down, because this planting season a lot of people are going into farming.

‘’Another challenge is unavailability of funds. Banks are not willing to give loans to farmers. Some banks are willing to give, but the percentage interest is so high,’’ he said.