The All Farmers Associa
tion of Nigeria (AFAN) in Akwa Ibom State, has urged the state government to help in the training of farmers on modern techniques and sponsorship to agricultural fairs.
The AFAN Chairman in the state, Mr Dennis Etong, made the request when he paid a courtesy visit on the state Deputy Governor, Mr Moses Ekpo, in Uyo.
Etong noted that training of farmers on modern techniques and exposure to international agricultural exhibitions and fairs were necessary to facilitate large scale farming in the state.
He said that his association needed technical knowledge in the processing of products like cassava, potatoes, moringa, vegetable, oil palm, livestock, cocoyam and seafood in line with global standard.
The AFAN chairman also sought construction of roads leading to farmlands, assistance in building permanent farmers secretariat and provision of utility vehicles to the association.
Etong further requested the offer of grants and interest-free loans to farmers in the state as encouragement to boost food production.
He also pleaded with the state government to direct all the 31 local government areas to strictly utilise agriculture budgets on farming and welfare of farmers.
Etong said his association was made up of farmers cooperatives, processors and marketers had 366, 000 members in 2014 census.
Responding, Ekpo, advised the executives of AFAN to explore ways of cultivating large scale farming for food sufficiency in the state.
Ekpo urged the association to team up with the Technical Committee on Agriculture and Food Sufficiency set up recently by the state government to boost food sufficiency in the state.
He said that the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel had identified agriculture as a priority area to generate employment, reduce poverty and enhance food sufficiency and assured the farmers that the state government was determined to support them with necessary inputs such as soft loans and fertilisers.
He further advised the farmers to imbibe the habit of preserving crops for the next planting season as well as for export.
