The Adamawa Government has earmarked the sum of N550 million to buy fertilizer for the 2020 farming season.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Umar Pella, disclosed this shortly after the State Executive Council’s meeting held on Wednesday in Yola and presided over by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.
“The Council equally approved N160 million for the purchase of 52,000 litres of agrochemicals and hybrid seeds for disbursement to farmers ” Pella said.
He also explained that the state government had approved that the commodity be sold to farmers at a subsidised rate of N5,500 per bag of 50kg.
According to the Commissioner, security situation has delayed the buying of the agricultural inputs, especially, NPK fertilizer.
He said that the Federal Government had banned the sales of fertilizer in the North east region based on the insinuation that some elements were using the product to make explosives.
“The state government has requested the Federal Government through the office of the National Security Adviser to lift the ban on the sales of NPK fertilizer in the north east.
” Otherwise, the state government will have no options than to look for any other certified outlet to buy from to prevent unnecessary food crisis in the state and the region ” Pella said.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Dishi Khone, in his contribution said that the government was not delaying in its buying of fertilizer.
Khone said that the state government would buy the products very soon and made them available to genuine farmers at subsidised rates.
NAN reports that Adamawa State is among the major producers of rice, groundnut and maize in the country.
