Cropping Season: Gov. Alia Pushes Land Aggregation Drive to Scale Up Agricultural Productivity in Benue

• Subsidize Fertilizer by 51% for Farmers

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

The Governor of Benue State, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to large-scale agricultural transformation through strategic land aggregation and improved access to farm inputs.

Governor Alia made this pledge at the official flag-off of the 2026 Fertilizer and Other Farm Inputs Sales and Distribution Exercise at the Benue Fertilizer Blending Plant, Industrial Layout, Makurdi, on Thursday.

He announced that his administration has subsidized fertilizer by 51%, disclosing that the product will be sold to farmers at a subsidised rate of N28,000 per bag, while the government bears the subsidy to cushion production costs and support smallholder farmers across the state.

The Governor described the initiative not merely as a seasonal intervention, but as a deliberate policy direction aimed at boosting food security, expanding cultivated farmlands through land aggregation, and driving rural economic prosperity across the state.

He noted that Benue’s pride as the “Food Basket of the Nation” must be sustained through modern agricultural practices, stressing that government interventions are being expanded to ensure farmers have access to quality inputs, improved seedlings, herbicides, and support systems needed to increase productivity and commercialise agriculture at scale.

Governor Alia announced that the 2026 input distribution exercise will cover all 23 local government areas, with strengthened transparency mechanisms to ensure equitable access and eliminate diversion.

He said that the administration has also increased the volume of fertiliser and related inputs to match the expanding farming population and the growing acreage under cultivation through land aggregation initiatives.

According to him, the broader agricultural agenda of the administration includes rural road development for evacuation of farm produce, irrigation expansion for all-season farming, agro-processing and value addition to reduce post-harvest losses, as well as capacity-building programmes for farmers, youths, and women engaged in agribusiness.

The Governor urged farmers to take full advantage of the programme, while charging officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to uphold transparency, fairness, and accountability in the distribution process, warning against any form of diversion or malpractice.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Benjamin Ashaver, declared that the era of substandard fertiliser distribution in Benue State was over, warning that strict enforcement mechanisms had been put in place to deal with any form of bypass or malpractice in the system.
He also called on youths and women to embrace opportunities in agriculture, describing innovation, technology, mechanization and agribusiness as the future of the sector.

Ashaver urged agro-dealers and suppliers to avoid hoarding, adulteration and price manipulation, warning that anyone found exploiting farmers would face the full weight of the law.

In his remarks, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Star Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited, Mr. Julius Atorough, commended Governor Alia for fulfilling his promise of making quality fertilizer available to farmers on time saying the partnership between the state government and the company have eliminated adulterated fertilizers from the state’s market and assured farmers of continuous supply despite global market disruptions.

Atorough disclosed that the company was expanding its production capacity from five trucks per day to 20 trucks daily through a new automated blending line and plans to establish a limestone granulating plant in Benue, a move he said is expected to boost fertilizer production, create jobs and strengthen the state’s agricultural economy.