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Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello,  has kicked off the sale and distribution of 15,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer valued at N1.5 billion for 2017 cropping season, with a warning of dire  consequence against anyone that is involved  in the diversion of the essential farming input.

He also warned farmers to avoid the temptation of selling the highly subsided fertiliser for petty gains.

The governor gave  the warnings at the fertiliser distribution ceremony for this year’s farming season at NAMDA headquarters,  Maitunmbi in Bosso Local Government area of the state.

This year’s fertilizer distribution is 200 per cent higher than 4,710 metric tonnes of fertiliser procured and distributed in 2016 cropping season.

Governor Sani Bello, who pegged the price of one bag of fertiliser at N5,500, assured farmers in the state of his administration’s determination to eradicate all the drudgery associated with the implementation of agricultural policies in fulfillment of his campaign promises.

He, however, counselled farmers in the state to ensure judicious use of the essential farming input for maximum and bountiful harvest, while also cautioning  them against selling the product for petty gains.

The governor said machineries had been put in place to avert and check sharp practices associated with the sale and distribution of the product by ensuring that only genuine farmers accessed the fertiliser in all the 274 wards of the state.

“Let me warn all farmers to avoid the temptation of selling the fertiliser for petty gains. I also warn those involved in the distribution exercise to desist from shoddy practices as anyone caught will be made to face the consequence of such actions,” the governor warned.

Earlier,  the state Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Alhaji Sheri Galadima, commended the efforts of the state government at ensuring that farmers in the state had access to improved seedlings, tractors, fertiliser and extension services, a development, he  noted, had improved the harvest in recent time.

Galadima was full of praises for the timely sale and distribution of fertilisers, stressing that the timeliness in fertiliser distribution this year,  would enhance bumper harvest.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mallam Kabiru Abbas Musa, stated that when the incumbent All Progressives Congress- led administration came on board in 2015, that there was a lot of uncertainty on the provision of fertilizers to the farmers in the state for that year’s wet season cultivation.

He said thereafter, following presentations to the state government, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello graciously approved  the use of a modified Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Scheme for distribution of the fertilizers in the interim.

Acoordingly, said  the state ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development swung into action in partnership with five genuine private Companies/Suppliers , stressing that the outcome of which was used that year, highlighting further that same method was also used the following year, 2016.

“ Under the modified GES Scheme, each farmer got a maximum of two bags of fertilizers at 50 percent subsidy such as N2850 per bag in 2015, . In 2016, however, the farmers paid 73percent of the cost at N5500 per bag , while the farmers in the state paid a total of N471,000.000.00 at the Redemption centres established for this purpose. And the state government on its part paid N2016,755,000.00 as subsidy”, said the Commissioner.

Consequently, he said in order to ensure transparency and fairness, that Farmers Identification Committees were constituted in all the 25Local Governments of the state , while at the state level, the state government had a fertilizer distribution monitoring committee that cross- checked  and checkmated the activities of the Local Government Farmers Identification  Committees as well as those of the actors at the redemption centres.

Mallam Kabiru A bass Musa however disclosed that in 2017,  the Federal Government has given the state governments latitude to operate by allowing the states  to fashion out  their distribution machineries .

Towards this end, he said the Niger state government has already applied for 15,000 metric tons of fertilizers from the Federal Government Fertilizer Intervention Committee.