Kaduna State Govt. reviews strategy for fertiliser distribution


Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has ordered the review of the strategy for fertiliser distribution in the state, saying past arrangement was ‘a scam.’
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Manzo Maigari, said the governor gave the directive on Tuesday in Kaduna and directed Ministry of Agriculture to take full control of the exercise.
Maigari said that the State government looked into fertiliser distribution for the 2016 cropping season and discovered that the distribution, so far, was not satisfactory.
The commissioner described the earlier distribution strategy as ``a scam.’’
``Those entrusted with the distribution of the fertiliser have turned it into a business.
``The council was greatly dissatisfied with the result of the review on the distribution strategy,’’ he said.
Maigari said the fertiliser distribution meant for local farmers often ended up in the hands of the wrong people, resulting in a hike in the cost when they eventually got to the farmers.
He said middlemen received fertilisers from distributors at cheap prices, re-packaged and then sold the same fertilisers to farmers in the open market exorbitantly.
``We believed that Agriculture and farming are in the rural areas and the local councils are the closet to the farmers.
``In a bid to ensure that only actually farmers collect fertilisers, we relied on the chairmen, who are in a better position to know who is a farmer and who is not.
``What we have seen now is the contrary; in most local government areas, fertilisers that were released never got to the farmers.
``We also found that the state Government fertiliser is being sold in the open market at a cost that is 100 per cent higher than the government approved price.
``To address the observed excesses, the governor has directed the State Ministry of Agriculture to take full control of the distribution of fertiliser in Kaduna,’’ he said.
Maigari said that the state was expecting a huge quantity of fertiliser consignment for this cropping season.
``Already, we have received 317 trucks with 20 trucks at the railway station while another 21 trucks are in the warehouse.
``We are also expecting additional fertiliser during the week; we believe that fertiliser procurement should not be an ordeal for farmers,’’ Maigari said.
The commissioner warned that the El-Rufai-led administration would not condone injustice and acts of discrimination against the ordinary citizens.

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