Niger govt procures N2.2bn fertilizer

In its efforts towards boosting agricultural mechanisation, the Niger State Government said it has procured 130 tractors valued at N2.2 Billion Naira.
Making the disclosure at the official inauguration of the 2018 cropping season and distribution of tractors in Minna, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello stated that the tractors would be distributed to genuine farmers in the state at 25 per cent subsidy rate.
The governor explained that another set of 100 tractors were being expected through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Nigeria Incentive Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending programme in the next few weeks.
According to him, to ensure full payment of the tractors are made by farmers, an agreement has been reached with Machine Equipment Consortium Africa and Tractor Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria to manage the tractors.
Bello also directed the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Jikantoro to take stock of all heavy equipment abandoned and those recovered in the state, fix and return them to the various local government councils.
He, however, explained that he would not criticise any past administration in the state on the state of the tractors he inherited, saying the problem was lack of management by the councils.
“The challenge is as long as we don’t see government property as our own, things will go bad. Local government councils reactivate your Works Department, repair the abandoned tractors and let me sleep,” he said.
The governor also explained that in its efforts to achieve food security, the state, in collaboration with Tak Fertilizer Company, purchased 15,000 metric tons of NPK 20: 10:10 fertilizer and stored across the 25 LGAs of the State.
“The fertilizer will be sold at government-approved price of N5, 500 per bag of 50kg,” he said.
In his address, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Haruna Dukku, urged farmers to avoid buying adulterated fertilizer products by patronizing only government stores at the official fixed price.
He added that the state had set up the State, Local Government and Ward Levels Monitoring Committees to ensure strict compliance on mode of distribution.