The Federal Government’s fertiliser initiative is to encourage local production and ensure affordable fertiliser to farmers across the country.
Presidential Committee on Fertiliser Initiative says that the Federal Government is committed to the actualisation of producing one million tonnes of fertilisers in the country.
Mr Thomas Etuh, a member of the committee and National President, Fertilisers Suppliers and Producers Association of Nigeria (FESPAN), made this known in Okpella, Estako East Local Government Area on Wednesday.
Etuh told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the fertiliser companies in the country had the capacity to produce the one million tonnes.
“We are working closely with the Federal Government to address the problems associated with provision of fertilisers in the country."
“And the Federal Government one million metric tonnes of fertiliser production is achievable,” he said.
Etuh said that the Federal Government’s fertiliser initiative was to encourage local production and ensure affordable fertiliser to farmers across the country.
“The aim of the initiative is to encourage local production of fertiliser in order to create more job opportunities for Nigerians, induce reduction of inflation and reduce foreign exchange."
“A bag of fertiliser goes between N8,000 and N9,000 a bag; with this initiative, we will bring the cost of fertiliser down to N5,000 at the plant and N5,500 to the farmers, and that saves a cost of over 30 per cent for the farmers."
“Also it will help bring food prices down, but more importantly, through this one million metric tonnes of fertiliser programme, we are looking at the country saving 200 million dollars foreign exchange yearly from this programme,” he said.
The FESPAN chairman, however, assured farmers of quality supply of fertiliser across the country
“The Federal Government has come up with good plans and we are ready to support government so that enough fertilisers will be supplied to our farmers in all farming seasons,” he said.
