take dat: A farmer who is able to pay 50% of the cost of farm input should be able to afford a mobile phone himself.
How are we so sure the mobile phones will be distributed to those it was intended for? How will the uneducated farmer be able to comprehend the process of using a mobile phone to check weather and access other GES information? How will government be able to detect cases like "multiple roll out"? How will the farmers in remote villages cope with the epileptic network problems, insufficient recharge cards and poor power supply to charge those phones or will government be providing masts for correct signal to the village, recharge cards and all? There is also the problem of logistics. I do not feel that most local farmers are ripe for this e-wallet, except it will be done together with paper vouchers. Government should distribute free fertilisers and high yield seedlings to the farmers instead of this wasteful idea of given free mobile!

deesn[color=#006600:
[/color]ipes]Really? Really? And these pple think mobile fone is the next thing that farmers need? Who even told them they don't have fones? Have they considered villages with no light and network at all?
Then what is the job of an agricultural extension graduate( that is suppose to be d intermidiary between govt, research institutes and farmers)? So fone is going to replace them? Maybe agricultural extension and rural development as a course should just be removed from our higher institutions.
Am sure if they employ extension graduates in all states for these job the fg won't spend up to half of what they will be wasting on this so called project.
As the federal govt considered that what farmers need is loan facility without outrageous collaterals, subsidy on mechanized farm machineries, quality and affordable fertilizer, good seedlings, better roads for transport of produce to market and good storage facilities?
Seriously these farmers have mobe phones where their is network and they have their transistor radios for information on weather so what is the federal goverment talking about?
Really? Mobile phones?

BeraBera: It's a welcome development. Farmers need to be informed. They should know when their fertilizers and other entitlements are ready for collection, and where they are to be collected. It also becomes useful whenever their associations want to convene meetings.
It's not a bad idea at all.

Billyonaire: Its a good policy to assist the farmers in any way we can. Its necessary to contact them on phone to know their desires, and make sure they receive the fertilizer subsidies.Legislatures are making millions i wonder why anyone should be against any parliatives to the farmers. For the morons saying its waste of money, u prefer the money to be siphoned to dubai?

Billyonaire: Its a good policy to assist the farmers in any way we can. Its necessary to contact them on phone to know their desires, and make sure they receive the fertilizer subsidies.Legislatures are making millions i wonder why anyone should be against any parliatives to the farmers. For the morons saying its waste of money, u prefer the money to be siphoned to dubai?

logix4me:

Are you really serious? I am a farmer/blogger, and I can tell you first-hand, this young and old people in this profession are getting discourage in the hundreds due to lack of funds and incentives from the banks. Banks dont give us loan because farming is highly-risky, especially livestocks. Farmers need subsidy on agricultural implements and equipments. Do you know the cost of acquiring 1 acre of land within Ogun or Lagos (this is a primary asset when it comes to farming), then the secondary assets such as a tractor, sprinkler, etc! GEJ should realize he is wasting precious national time and should sack any minister who implements any selfish program. And this move is extremely annoying. I assure you, no farmer wants a mobile phone >:(![/b]

iv4fb: how will mobile phone boost agriculture?