Farmers in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta have decried the high cost of farm implements as they are getting ready for new farming season.
The farmers in separate interviews with newsmen at Ekuku Agbor market in Agbor on Tuesday, said that cost of farming implements had risen exorbitantly, while the cost of their farm products still remained low.
Mr Chukwudi Okaka, a mixed crop farmer, who specialises in cassava, maize, yam and palm products, said that the cutlass they bought for N1,500 last year, was now selling for between N2000 and N4,000, depending on the quality and size.
He said that ‘file’ for sharpening cutlasses and hoes that was sold for between N700 and N1,000 last year, now sells for between N1,500 and N2,000, depending on their sizes and quality.
Okaka said that the cost of herbicides had also increased as one litre of herbicides, which was sold for between N1,200 and N1,500 last year, now sells for between N2,000 and N2,509.
He however lamented that farm products produced outside the locality such as rice, beans, onions as well as groundnut oil continued to rise on a daily basis, while those produced in their environment had maintained the same price.
Mrs Grace Enwomike, a farm implement seller who complained of low patronage, stressed the need for both farmers and the farm implement dealers to appreciate God for keeping them all through 2021.
She lamented that people were coming to find out the prices her products but hardly bought them because of the increase in the price.
Meanwhile, another farmer, who spoke on anonymity said that many of the agricultural loans given to farmers only got to few.
He recalled how many times they were asked to fill forms in order to access loan facilities, which never yielded any results.
He said that farmers really needed government assistance, especially at the beginning of farming season, adding that they did not have any other occupation in Ekuku Agbor aside farming.
He also appealed to government at all levels to help them in subsidising the cost of farm implements to enable them remain in business
