Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has flagged off the 2025 cropping season and the distribution of subsidized fertilizers.
The governor declared his administration’s goal is to produce “hundreds of millionaire farmers” within the next two years by empowering them with improved farm inputs and modern techniques.
Speaking at the launch event in Makurdi, Alia acknowledged a delay in the program, attributing it to the previous season’s fraudulent practices by some suppliers.
He announced that the state has made provisions to pay over ₦5 billion to genuine fertilizer suppliers from the 2024 season.
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The government is distributing 9,000 metric tonnes (600 truckloads) of various fertilizers, including NPK, Urea, and SSP, with a total value of ₦16.8 billion.
The state will provide a 50% subsidy, making each bag available to farmers for ₦22,500.
To combat corruption and ensure that only authentic farmers benefit, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Benjamin Ashaver, announced new reforms.
All fertilizer sales will now be cashless, processed through POS terminals at designated centers, with payments made directly to suppliers’ accounts.
The state is also creating a digital farmers’ register to enhance transparency and provide better support.
In an effort to add value to local produce, the governor stated that starting from December, oranges will no longer be exported in their raw form from Benue, as the state’s new fruit processing factory will begin operation to process them.
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The government is also encouraging youths to embrace farming to maintain Benue’s position as the leading soyabean producer in Nigeria.
The governor’s address underscored the importance of agriculture as the foundation of Benue’s economy and pride, urging citizens to be patriotic and embrace the new vision for the state’s agricultural sector.
