Mr Simeon Nwafor, state chairman of the association gave the commendation while speaking with the  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)  in Onitsha on Tuesday, saying  that the inputs are for the current farming season.

“This is the first time Anambra is participating in the programme. We are in the field and have started harvesting as part of  the efforts to ensure maize sufficiency for consumption and export,” Nwafor  said.

He explained that the association received inputs including maize seedlings, NPK fertiliser, Urea fertiliser, agro-chemicals, micro nutrients (liquid) and knapsack sprayers, among others, for 535 farmers on 535 hectares of farmland.

The chairman said they are still expecting delivery of 272 bags of Urea and 60 bags of 120kg maize, among others.

“We have not completed harvest, but so far, we can say we have a bumper harvest,” he said.

Nwafor said maize farmers are faced with challenges such as  the high cost of manual labour as a result of the absence of mechanised equipment such as tractors, planters and harvesters.

“Because all the support given to us are not in cash but inputs equivalent, we hire labourers which tells on our resources.

“Every week, we spend between N500,000 and N600,000 on manual labour. You can then calculate for a month and more.

“The labourers are also not planting as expected; a hectare which ought to take about 55,506 seedlings, accommodates far below the required quantity per hectare,” he said.

Nwafor said with a mechanised planting machine, the maize cultivation will go according to calibration and standard, resulting in higher yield per hectare.

The chairman also expressed concern at  the menace of army worms affecting some of the crops in the farm, saying that the agro-chemicals, Goldmax, disbursed to farmers against the insects are not effective.

“The Federal Government gave us Goldmax chemical products to help to remedy the effects of army worms, but after applying it, you come another day to realise that the worms are still alive.

“We carried out research and discovered that another chemical called Caterpillar Force was more effective,” Nwafor noted. 

He said purchasing the agro-chemicals for their crops is another expense on their part.

“We are appealing  to government to revisit the chemicals they provide to us for better effects against worms and insects,” Nwafor said.

The chairman, who also appealed for early release of inputs, said the experience garnered from their first encounter under the ABP, will aid them through the 2021 farming season for better yield. (NAN)