Fertiliser production to save Nigeria N60bn

AS the ingredients for fertiliser blending arrive Nigeria from Morocco, the Fertiliser Producers and Supplier Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) has projected that the Federal Government would be able to save N60billion through local fertiliser production.

Addressing journalists during a visit to fertiliser blending plant in Kaduna, the FEPSAN president Thomas Etuh recalled that a Presidential Fertilizer Initiative was launched to scale down the price from N10,000 per bag to N5,500, after signing a  bilateral agreement with OCP Morroco to supply Phosphate and Potash at a low price for the production of million Mt of fertiliser for the wet season farming.

Etuh, who is also a member presidential initiative while conducting journalists around the blending plant, Fertiliser Chemical Limited in Kaduna disclosed that over 23,000mt of fertiliser has been supplied to some northern states of Jigawa, Kebbi for wet season farming.

According to him, “Production has started in not less than six blending plants and the delivery of finished products have started in some states and agro-dealers. We have supplied more than 23,000mt already to Jigawa, Kebbi states and some dealers.

While pointing Pointing out that the price has been pegged at N5, 000 from the factory and N5,500 from dealers to farmers, the FEPSAN President stated that a special bag was produced for the project with a price tag and a whistle blowers number in case someone tried to sell above the approved price.

He further noted that the government had entered into a Public Private Partnership with blending plants to produce and distribute 1million mt of NPK fertiliser for 2017 wet season farming and 500,000mt for 2017 Dry season farming.

He, however disclosed that 80 per cent of states in the country had indicated interest to off-take and started to receive goods, adding that that FEPSAN has 3,500 registered Agro dealers scattered all over the country to distribute the product in the rural areas.

The Managing Director of the blending Plant, Fertiliser Chemical Limited, Om Prakash Panya, while lauding the Presidential initiative, maintained that it is much more accessible to the farmers than the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme.

Disclosing that the plant has the capacity to blend 500,000mt of fertiliser, he stressed the need for the government to ensure sustainability of the program.

His words: “If funding is sustained to the manufacturers we will not have any problem. While blending plant is not a very profitable business, it was hopeful that with the high demand and the hope that state government pay in time the project will make some profit, because u are employing so many people, you have so many taxes and so you have so many responsibility on your head.”