Nigerian farmers cannot longer boost their production due to the high cost of fertilisers, All Farmers Association president Kabir Ibrahim has cried out.
Mr. Ibrahim, who was speaking in an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, said the administration of former President Mohammadu Buhari was farmers friendly as they were able to procure fertilisers at an affordable rate.
“I think during the Buhari days, the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) was formed as a means to make fertilizer available.
“Between 2017 and 2020, we received fertilizer like Coca-Cola. It was all over the place. The price was good. It was the first ₦5,500. After the pandemic, a further subsidy of ₦500 was given and we were buying it at ₦5,000.
“But from 2021 to date, it’s been a problem. The farmers cannot afford it,” he said.
“Well, the value of our currency went down and most of these things are imported, the components that they mentioned.
“We had a pact with Morocco. We were getting them at a very reasonable price and of course they were giving discounts. I think our government appealed to them and then after that, we began to import from other places at the prevailing market rates.
“Then the blenders had to make up whatever money is expended. So it has been a bad situation from that to 2021 to date.”
He explained that flooding has also been affecting farmers. He advised the federal government to return the fertilizer subsidy. He stated that farmers should be able to buy fertilizers at cheap rates like in 2017 for the country to have cheap food.
“That way, the hues and cries from consumers will not be as much, because we have to recoup our investments. The fact is that the insecticides, herbicides, the inputs like fertilizers, even labor, we are now paying through our nose system,” Ibrahim said.
