GES: FG registers 10.5 million farmers, spends N26b on inputs

The Federal Government on Wednesday said it has paid N26 billion to agro-dealers for supplying farm inputs to farmers across the country towards boosting food production in the 2013 rainy season farming.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ibukun Odusote, disclosed this in Minna, Niger State during a meeting with stakeholders within the northern states on the performance of the GES programme since inception in 2012.
According to Odusote: “The total bills received so far from the agro-dealers under the Federal Government’s 2013 rain season farming is N45 billion, out of which N26 billion has been paid, leaving an outstanding balance of about N19 billion being processed.”
Odusote, who was represented by the North Central Regional Director of the scheme, Sunday Edibor, explained that for the 2013/14 dry season farming, N4.6 billion bills were
received and are being processed.
The government captured 10.5 million farmers across the country in the national database since inception of the GES scheme in 2012, the Permanent Secretary pointed out, adding that the measure ensured that only genuine farmers got subsidized inputs such as improved seedlings and fertilizers through electronic wallet system and use of scratch cards.
She said: “To ensure that only genuine farmers got subsidized inputs, farmers’ enumeration was carried out at the end of the 2013 farming season and a total of 10.5 million farmers were captured in the national database.”
Odusote further explained that at the inception of the GES implementation in 2013, farmers received 50 per cent subsidy for fertilizers and 100 per cent for improved seeds, adding that only registered farmers received subsidies from government.
She said: “We can tell you which farmers received which inputs, when they did, how much they paid and how much government paid.
“In rainy season farming last year, 5.28 million farmers were reached with subsidized inputs under genetic GES, while 272, 798 farmers were reached with subsidized inputs under the special value chains.”
The Niger State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Ibrahim Matane, had earlier commended the GES programme, adding that it has been a success story since its commencement in the state in 2012.
“The state government succeeded in blocking the activities of middleman and was able to provide fertilizers to over 440,000 small holder farmers,” Matane said.
He stressed the need for the Federal Government to collaborate with all GSM service providers to ensure effective redemption while the programme lasts.