The State Organising Secretary of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Rivers Chapter, Chua Abbey, has urged the Federal Government to work closely with local farmers to strengthen food production and achieve self-sufficiency.
Abbey made the appeal on Thursday in Port Harcourt, emphasizing the need for a coordinated approach between farmers and government agencies.
She identified poor road infrastructure, herders’ invasion, and the absence of government incentives as major factors contributing to food shortages in the state. Abbey stressed that these issues must be addressed to boost agricultural output and reduce post-harvest losses.
According to her, the lack of access roads in many farming communities makes it difficult for farmers to transport produce to markets and distribution centers.
“This year’s World Food Day theme, ‘Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future,’ highlights the importance of collective action in tackling hunger,” she said. “Even though we marked the occasion, food insecurity remains a challenge in Rivers State. That is why we are appealing to both federal and state governments to partner with local farmers to change this narrative.”
Abbey noted that on October 1, AFAN’s National President, Mr. Faruk Mudi, inaugurated a digital identification platform for farmers in Rivers, aimed at improving coordination and access to government initiatives.
She expressed optimism that stronger collaboration with the government would soon yield results but disclosed that the much-talked-about federal support for farmers had not yet reached AFAN members in the state.
Abbey encouraged farmers to remain patient, assuring them that Mudi’s ongoing engagement with the Minister of Agriculture would ensure farmers benefit directly from future interventions.
She added that at the grassroots level, AFAN was already partnering with Directors of Agriculture across the 23 local government areas to secure land for mechanised farming.
According to her, the state Ministry of Agriculture has also allocated about 40 tractors to support large-scale cultivation.
Speaking on the effects of flooding, Abbey said many farmers in Gokana, Khana, and Eleme local government areas had suffered significant losses, which could further push up the prices of staple foods such as garri, maize, yam, and plantain.
She called for urgent government attention to mitigate these losses and stabilize food prices across the state.