Fertilizer. |
The
Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) has
commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for the total ban it recently
placed on the importation of all blends of the nitrogen Phosphorous and
Potassium (NPK) fertilizers.
FEPSAN
believes the move will go a long way in stemming the importation of poor
quality NPK fertilizer blends, boost local capacity and protect the soil from
toxic fertilizers imported by unscrupulous business people.
In
a statement signed by FEPSAN President, Mr. Thomas Etuh, the Association said
the only way the Federal Government can demonstrate its commitment to improve
agricultural production and boost local capacity is by taking such strong
purposive steps that will position the entire agricultural value chain and
allied industries to support the Nigerian economy while widening the already
open opportunities for foreign exchange earnings.
Mr.
Etuh said with the move alone, the Government was already on the verge of
saving more than N720 billion in foreign exchange, saved thousands of jobs
while also creating the enablers for even more job creation in the agro=allied
industry.
He
stressed that NPK Fertilizer blends from Nigeria are produced with specific
soil composition in mind, a situation that, unlike most imported blends which
destroy the soil, preserves and adds value to soil nutrients.
“Fertilizer
blending plants in Nigeria are growing and have demonstrated capacity to
produce exactly what Nigerian farmers need to enrich Nigerian soil for improved
food production. We have demonstrated this and have attestations from farmers
to support this claim and when I say we have the capacity, I mean we have such
capacity in quantitative and qualitative terms,” he stated.
The
FEPSAN President added that members of the Association already have installed
capacity at more than 20 blending plants spread across the country to produce
up to four million tons of high quality NPK fertilizer blends, a figure that
surpasses the 1.5 million tons, which the highest volume ever utilized by
Nigerian farmers.
“We
are aware that a lot more Nigerians are adopting agriculture as a business,
especially in response to the Federal Government’s drive for food security.
FEPSAN, in heeding the patriotic call for food security has placed itself in a
position to ensure Nigerian farmers have all the best quality fertilizer the
need. This also places us in a strong position to export to other countries in
West and Central Africa, especially since we have capacity to produce more than
what Nigerian farmers will need in the foreseeable future,” Mr. Etuh continued.
He
said government has done the right thing because no economy that desires to
grow should encourage the importation of what it has capacity to produce and at
affordable prices.
He
reminded Nigerians that through the combined efforts of the Federal Government,
the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund and FEPSAN, the
country had been saving as much as N60 billion annually in the subsidies
hitherto paid for fertilizer imports while farmers now get the agro input round
the year and at prices far lower than what was obtainable, even during the
subsidy regime.
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