Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, yesterday flagged – off the sale of fertilizer at N4,000 per bag to farmers in the state.
The governor, while performing the exercise in Giwa Local Government Area of the state, said his administration has pulled the state out of waste and fertilizer subsidy fraud. He warned against diversion of the products for commercial purposes, saying any one found sabotaging the scheme will be prosecuted.
With the subsidy enjoyed by farmers in the state last year, NPK was sold at N3,750 and Urea for N3,600.
The governor said he stopped the past practice of allocating fertilizer only to “big men” and directed that fertilizer be sold only at publicly-designated points to interested farmers, saying this is to ensure that every farmer in Kaduna has equal opportunity to buy at first-come, first-serve basis.
“We have put our influence and credibility to attract private providers of fertilizer and negotiated a fair price with them on behalf of our farmers. Without putting a kobo of government money, we have made it possible for a farmer to buy fertilizer from private supplies at N4000 per bag this farming season,” he stated.
