The Niger state government on Tuesday commenced the official sales and distribution of fertilizer for 2021 wet season at the cost of N8,000 per bag of NPK.
The Deputy Governor, Ahmed Ketso at the flag off ceremony in Minna, disclosed that the state has procured 27 and half of trucks making 15,000 metric tons of fertilizers for distribution to the 25 local councils of Niger state
He explained that government is doing everything possible to mitigating the security challenges facing the state and assured small scale farmers of subsidized production inputs.
He emphasized that the middlemen activities will be curtailed through the measures put in place for effective and efficient monitoring of the sales of the products.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Haliru Jikantoro said the the current administration was determined to ensure food sufficiency and cash crops production to generate employment and wealth for the citizens to reduced youth restiveness.
He reassured farmers of access to high quality inputs for farming activities and will implored all options possible to leverage on the vast opportunities abound in the state while the ministry will continued to implement government agricultural policy.
On his part, the Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria AFAN, Niger state chapter, Shehu Galadima, decried the state of insecurity experienced by the farmers due to attacks by the bandits, alarming scarcity of food in 2021/22 if solutions are not quickly found.
He charged on the federal government to reconsidered its stand by subsidizing agricultural inputs if food security most be attain in Nigeria.
Bala Tuta and Shitu Abdullahi are some of the beneficiaries; they expressed their delight on the early commencement of the sales of the fertilizer as this was what the farmers all wants.
The beneficiaries said that as long as they can get the product the price was good for them.
