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Commercial farmers in Cross River State have accused the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) of failing to deliver on its mandate, alleging that genuine farmers are being denied access to credit facilities and other interventions needed to increase food production.

The farmers, including the immediate past Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in the state, Chief Ilem Nathaniel, and commercial fish farmer, Capt. Agba Ukel (retd.), claimed that the bank’s programmes have remained largely out of reach despite several applications.

Nathaniel alleged that only a very small number of farmers, if any, have benefited from the bank’s intervention programmes, describing the application process as stressful and discouraging.

According to him, intending beneficiaries are often required to open accounts and fulfil several conditions, only to spend long hours at the bank without receiving any meaningful assistance.

“Farmers usually return home in tears after queuing for long hours. We move from one place to another seeking financial support and other interventions without success.

“Even the government appears too distant from farmers, leaving them to fend for themselves,” he said.

Nathaniel attributed the low level of agricultural productivity in the state to poor access to financing and inadequate infrastructure, particularly bad roads and weak transportation networks that hinder the evacuation of harvested produce.

He maintained that the Bank of Agriculture has become inaccessible to genuine farmers and is no longer effectively carrying out the purpose for which it was established.

Supporting the claims, Capt. Ukel said he had completed all the bank’s registration requirements but was yet to receive any meaningful assistance.

“The bank told me it only provides credit facilities to processors, but even that has hardly happened. Government agricultural financing is also a scam.

“Most of the beneficiaries are people who do not even own farms. Genuine farmers are left without confidence or support, and without financing, it is difficult to expand production,” he said.

Responding to the concerns, the Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Johnson Ebokpo, said the state government has created dedicated units within the ministry to receive and address complaints from smallholder farmers.

Speaking at a recent press conference in Calabar, Ebokpo assured farmers that the ministry would help facilitate access to credit facilities from specialised agricultural financial institutions and other intervention programmes.

Efforts to obtain an official response from the Bank of Agriculture regarding the allegations were unsuccessful as of the time this report was filed.

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