COCOA GROWERS FAULT FG ON AGRIC BUDGET

By Boluwaji Obahopo
National Coordinator of Golden Cocoa Growers Association of Nigeria, GCOGAN, Dr. Tunde Arosanyin has criticised the Federal Government over its alleged poor agricultural policy, saying the government was paying lip service to the sector.

Speaking in an interview with Vanguard during the association's National Executive Committee and Board of Trustee meetings held in Lokoja, the Coordinator said it was wrong for the government to allocate only 1.7 percent of its budget to agriculture.

He said: 'Nigeria is signatory to the MAPUTO declaration of 2001 which mandated every Africa country to allocate at least 10 per cent of its annual budget to agriculture. 'The difference between 10 per cent and 1.7 per cent is clear; so will the outcome.'

He also said the implementation of the agriculture incentive to farmers this year was lopsided as those who could not benefit were asked to wait till next farming season, adding that this showed the level of insincerity of President Goodluck Jonathan's administration in resuscitating the sector as a means of revenue generation and feeding of the populace.