AKURE — Pressure was mounting for improved access to farm inputs in Akure as farmers and other agricultural stakeholders called for practical measures to make essential materials available to producers. The demand came amid wider concerns over the difficulties faced by farmers in obtaining the inputs needed to sustain agricultural production. Farm inputs, including improved seedlings, fertilisers, agrochemicals and other farming materials, remained important to efforts to improve productivity and support farmers whose livelihoods depended largely on agriculture. In Ondo State, demands for better access to agricultural inputs had featured prominently in discussions on the development of the sector, with farmers and other stakeholders seeking greater government attention to input supply and distribution. The issue was particularly significant for small-scale farmers, who often faced financial constraints in purchasing the materials required for cultivation. Stakeholders maintained that improving the availability and affordability of farm inputs would help farmers increase production while strengthening the agricultural value chain. The calls also reflected broader concerns about the need to reduce the difficulties confronting farmers and create conditions that would encourage more people to remain in agriculture. Agricultural development programmes in the state had continued to recognise the importance of input supply, while stakeholders sought measures that would ensure that farmers in communities could access the materials at reasonable rates. The pressure for improved distribution was therefore seen as part of a broader effort to strengthen agricultural activity and support food production. With farming playing an important role in the local economy, stakeholders argued that sustained attention to input distribution would benefit not only farmers but also businesses and consumers connected to the agricultural value chain. They urged relevant authorities and agricultural organisations to strengthen existing arrangements for making farm inputs available and ensure that support reached farmers who needed it. The renewed attention to the issue underscored the continuing importance of agriculture to economic activity in Akure and Ondo State, as stakeholders looked for practical solutions to some of the challenges limiting farmers' productivity.