Agro-dealers launch monitoring team to sanitise industry

Following its efforts to rid the agro-input market of quack agro dealers and adulterated farm inputs, the Nigeria Agro Input Dealers Association (NAIDA) has launched a compliance monitoring team on agricultural input distribution and sales.

In his address during the launch, the President of NAIDA, Kabiru Fara said agro dealers are the major link between input suppliers and end users (farmers) which makes agro-input and extension services to reach farmers better.

He said through the launching of the compliance monitoring team, NAIDA is living up to its mission statement which is to make quality agricultural inputs available, accessible and affordable to farmers in Nigeria to increase their well-being and ensure food security for all in the country.

Fara further stated that the inauguration of this team in all 36 states and the FCT will no doubt facilitate and ultimately create an enabling environment for sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria.

He said this move will make NAIDA an Association to reckon with on designing and implementing sustainable agricultural policies through advocacy, provision of accurate agro input information, output marketing and private extension services in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

“It is pertinent at this juncture to bring to fore the outcries by the public on the dubious attitudes of agro-dealers particularly with regards to adulteration of agric inputs, round tripping of products especially fertilizer which for all intent and purposes is perhaps exaggerated.

“I could recall our meeting with the Hon. Minister of Agric & Food Security on Tuesday 16th of January 2024 in the conference room of the ministry wherein the Minister expressed his anxiety over the conduct of Agro dealers in the just concluded dry season wheat program concerning round tripping of fertiliser.

“On Investigation, we found out that the allegations on the round-tripping were more of rumours being flaunted by naysayers.

“I am not standing here to say that agro-dealers are angels neither would I classify us as the devil incarnate. As we all are aware, human beings all over the world are bound to always want to cut corners and that is why laws/punishments are established in statute books to address these behavioural patterns accordingly.

“It is on this note and recognizing that we have some of us that are culpable of these malpractices in the sales/distribution of agricultural inputs that this compliance monitoring team is being put in place in all the 36 States and FCT to address the malpractice accordingly,” Fara noted.

While promising to self-regulate the association, the NAIDA President reiterated that the inauguration of the monitoring team across the country will reduce if not stop the atrocities being perpetrated by unscrupulous dealers within the association.

“I would like to use this opportunity to bring the attention of the Hon. Minister to an issue which is troubling/bugging our association currently.

“This is the scarcity of Urea in the Nigerian markets caused by the stoppage of its distribution by the major producers namely; Indorama Petrochemicals, Notore, and Dangote Fertiliser companies.

“We would therefore appreciate the Hon. Minister’s quick/urgent intervention on this matter to call/encouraging these companies to start this critical/essential input to eradicate the scarcity in the Nigerian markets as soon as possible,” he added.

Fara however, assured that NAIDA will work with relevant stakeholders at both the state and national levels to ensure that good quality agricultural inputs are made available to farmers across the country.