THE All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Delta State chapter, has urged the state government to consider farmers in the disbursement of the N50 billion bond recently approved for it.

Chairman of the chapter, Mr. Jerry Ossai, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba.

He said that with adequate support to farmers, the "Delta Without Oil" initiative would be realised.

Ossai, who said funding had remained the bane of agricultural development in the state, pointed out that farmers had found it difficult to access any of the sector's intervention funds.

He maintained that agriculture and farmers were critical to the economic development of the state.

"I will advise the government to put some good money from the N50 billion bond just approved for the state into agriculture.

"If agriculture is properly organised, youth employment will be taken care of, rural-urban drift will reduce, social unrest will also reduce and health bills will be low as people will feed well," he said.

Ossai, a former commissioner for agriculture in the state, said only one farmer in the state had been able to access funds from the Federal Government's agriculture intervention scheme.

He said the farmer got N500 million from the intervention fund in 2010, adding that AFAN assisted him in getting the loan.