A bag of fertilizer will soon cost less than N6, 000 in Nigeria, following
an agreement reached on its supply, between the Federal Government and the
government of Morocco, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,
Chief Audu Ogbeh announced.
Chief Ogbeh made the revelation in Kano, on Monday, during the 2017 wheat
harvest ceremony at Garun- Babba, in Garun- Mallam Local Government area
of the state.
“President Buhari signed an agreement with the Moroccan Government, we
went to Morocco and had a good agreement for phosphate import. With the
importation of phosphate we will put fertilizer on the market for less
than N6, 000,” he said.
He said already, blending plants in the country have swung into action,
assuring that the Federal government would continue to support farmers to
produce more for local consumption and export.
The Minister lamented that before the Federal government’s renewed drive
on agriculture, the country was losing millions of dollars annually to
import rice, wheat and milk, which could be produced in sufficient
quantity locally.
Chief Ogbeh who praised the government of Kano for leading the way in rice
processing and agricultural transforming in the country assured of the
support of the Federal government towards transforming the sector.
He announced plans to create special grazing reserves for herdsmen across
the country, revealing that the Federal Government would also train 3,000
Civil Defense Officers to protect herdsmen from cattle rustlers.
Earlier, the state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, disclosed that his
administration had granted a loan of N100 million each to wheat and rice
farmers associations in the state to enable them purchase seedlings and
other requited consumables to boost their endeavor, even as free storage
facilities have been provided for the to prevent undue loss.
“The state government recently approved N50 million short-term loans for
wheat farmers who need quick cash, to prevent them from selling off their
produce at give-away prices, until its price stabilized in the market”,
the governor added .
In addition, he said the administration recently purchased 500 zero fuel
water pumping machines and placed order for the supply of 5,000 as part of
commitment to boost irrigation in the state, assuring that his
administration is willing to support wheat and rice farmers to boosts
their productivity.
On cattle grazing, the governor announced that “a large expanse of land
would be provided around Dansoshiya in Kiru Local Government area to serve
as model settlement for herdsmen, in a bid to curtail recurring clashes
between farmers and herdsmen”.
Governor Ganduje also recalled that his administration trained 60 Fulani
youth in artificial insemination, in Turkey, to expose them to modern
breeding techniques, revealing that refrigerators would also be provided
to Fulani dairy women as part of value addition to dairy chain.
The Flour Milling Association of Nigeria, represented by Alhaji Sa’idu
Zakari Garun Babba, commended the Federal government for its renewed
commitment to agricultural development, restating that they would off-take
all the wheat produced by wheat farmers in the country.
Also speaking the chairman of the board of directors, New Nigerian
Development Company, NNDC, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, disclosed that the 19
Northern Governors have been given approval to board to establish an
agricultural commodity marketing board, envisaged to purchased excess
produce, create more jobs and generally add value to the economy of the
region.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture, inaugurated the Kano FADAMA
tractorization scheme, inspected the state seed processing facility being
renovated at Kadawa and undertook a guided tour of the state fertilizer
blending plant and other facilities at state-owned Kano state Agricultural
Supply Company, KASCO, Dakata, in Kano metropolis.
He commended the government for Kano state under Governor Ganduje for
leading the agricultural revolution in the country, hoping other states
would emulate the shining example