The Federal Government has introduced palliative measures to support Nigerian farmers.
The government’s task force on fertilizer said the cost of one bag of the product has been reduced to N5000 to support farmers.
Chairman presidential task force on fertilizer and Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar disclosed this while briefing newsmen on federal government’s decision to subsidise the price.
He said this is part of the palliative measures introduced by Mr. President to provide relief to Nigerian farmers on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the market price for the sale of NPK 20:1010 fertilizer to farmers and other end-users has been reduced from 5’500 to 5000 per 50kg bag.
Badaru said Sufficient volumes of fertilizer will be made available in time to meet the needs of the Nigerian farmers for the wet season farming,
“The presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) has now expanded its scope to also produce other blends of NPK fertilizer to cater to the diverse fertilizer requirements of the Nigerian farmers.
“The presidential Fertilizer Initiative ( PFI) for 2020 continues to remain pivotal in His Excellency’s agricultural transformational agenda, and is currently gearing to deliver 12 million 50kg of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer for the 2020 wet season”
Badaru stated that, despite the constraint placed by the lockdown initiated to curb the transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic, PFI activities continue to forge ahead to ensure timely availability of fertilizer for the wet season.
He noted that resuscitating Nigeria’s fertilizer blending industry, has played a pivotal role in dropping fertilizer prices by at least 50%, resulting in substantial foreign exchange savings for the country and a reduction in food-induced inflation.
It also stimulates economic activities across the agriculture value-chain, creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
“Between 2016 to 2019 president’s PFI delivered about 19 million bags of NPK 20.10.10 fertilizer from 22 blending plants across 13 States”
