NGOs are farmers’ lifeline in Cross River – agriculturist

An agriculturist, Mr Mark Ewa, said that NGOs were the lifeline for farmers in Cross River North for over 9 years.

He stated that farmers had not received any form of support from the state government since the exit of Liyel Imoke administration in May 2015.

Ewa, who is the Zonal Co-ordinator of Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in Ogoja,  stated this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ogoja on Thursday.

He noted that various NGOs from within and outside the state had provided farmers with farm inputs and loans over the course of the years.

According to him, “Farmers have it rough under the immediate past administration in the state as there was no form of support to them and thus rendered the ADP in the zone redundant.

“While I am not in a position to speak what happened in the two other zones, farmers across Yala, Ogoja, Bekwarra, Obudu and Obanliku survived those years with the mercies of NGOs.

“Not only do the NGOs periodically assisted farmers with farm inputs, they also supported with loans and training programmes.

“We are, however, hoping that this administration in the state and even the Federal Government can assist the farmers with fertilizers, seedlings and pesticides.”

Ewa further solicited the government’s support to the farmers with improved varieties of cassava and rice seedlings. (NAN)