Ensure No Firm Produce Fertiliser Without Government’s Approval — Farmers To FG

Farmers in Bauchi State have called on the Federal Government to get rid of adulterated fertilisers from the market and to ensure that no firm produces them without the government’s approval.

Some of the farmers who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday urged the government to check fake, substandard production of fertiliser and also urged the government to issue sales permits to operators.

Alhaji Babayo Ibrahim, a rice farmer in Bauchi, said that some plants in the country are blending without proper authorisation and mixing substandard components to produce adulterated fertiliser.

Ibrahim also disclosed that some merchants, who engaged in the fertiliser business, are not fully registered as required by the national fertiliser quality control law.

He called on the government to get rid of adulterated fertilisers from the market and to ensure that no firm produces fertiliser without the government’s approval.

Fatima Abdu-Misau, Treasurer, of Small Scale Women Farmers of Nigeria (SWOFON), attributed the scarcity of raw materials to the high cost of fertiliser.

She urged the Federal Government to source the two important raw materials locally through the Solid Mineral Development Fund to guide against future scarcity.

Abdu-Misua called on the Federal Government to address the challenges to enhance food production and food security challenges in the country.

Samuel Luka, a farmer said substandard fertiliser and the increase in prices of fertilisers in the country, are really affecting farmers, hence the need to support them.

“There is a need for smallholder farmers to be provided with free bags of fertiliser in a package to effectively reduce their fertiliser cost per acre by at least 33.3 per cent," he said.

Luka appealed to the government and international fertiliser producers to make a commitment to the provision of fertilisers.