Niger State government on Thursday says it has expended N1.5 billion on procurement of 15,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser for farmers in the state for the 2017 cropping season.
Gov. Abubakar Bello disclosed this during the inauguration of sales and distribution of fertiliser in Minna for 2017 cropping season.
He said that the fertiliser would be sold to farmers at subsidised rates, targeting smallholder farmers as beneficiaries.
Bello recalled that the state government, in collaboration with private fertiliser companies and suppliers, spent N1.7 billion to procure 15,000 metric tonnes of the commodity in 2015, from which 150,000 small holder farmers benefited.
He said the farmers paid N855 million, representing 50 per cent of the amount, while the state government paid the balance of N855 million as subsided rate.
He noted that only genuine farmers were able to access the fertilizer, due to the machineries the state government put in place to check sharp practices at state and local government levels.
The governor noted that due to the quick procurement of fertiliser before the planting period commenced in 2016, the pressure on farmers reduced drastically.
“A total of 4,710 metric tonnes of fertiliser were procured and each farmer accessed two bags at the rate of N5, 000 per bag or 73 per cent of cost and the state government paid the balance of N2, 000 per bag, representing 27 per cent.”
Bello said this year, the Federal Government was able to regulate the price of one bag of fertiliser at N5, 500.00, adding that the state had keyed into the scheme to procure fertiliser for farmers.
