The sixty-day ultimatum given to the three fertilizer contractors expired Sunday May 31, 2008 with all the states taking delivery of the product, even as the distribution, which is still on-going , has not witnessed any fundamental change from the past disorderliness.

The government, though, through its efforts at pruning down the 68 fertilizer companies, had selected three companies to meet their obligations so that the product could reach farmers nationwide at the beginning of the planting season.

The three fertilizer firms saddled with the responsibility of the procurement of the product are:Tak Continental, Golden Fertilizer and Federal Superphosphate Fertilizer.

The Chief Olusegun Obasanjo government had spent N30 billion annually amounting to N300 billion without any corresponding result from 1999 to 2006. And between this period, government subsidy of 25 per cent amounted to N15, 907,904,893, 61.

However, as a mark of departure from the past, the Umaru Musa Yar'adua government jerked up fertilizer import from 528,000 metric tons to 650,000 metric tons in order to augment for the crop failures last year. It has also budgeted N65 billion for same.

All these, commentators say are laudable steps to address the teething problems associated with fertilizer procurement and distribution in Nigeria.

However, there seems to be no evidence that the country is getting it right this time again as the ordinary farmers are not any better.

A survey carried out by the Nigerian Civil Society Initiative on Food Security on fertilizer distribution in northern states confirms that most farmers across the northern states could not get the product as they had to fall back on the fertilizer in the open market.

While the average prices of the subsidized product is N1,500, the market price of the unsubsidised fertilizers remains N5,000, which is far and beyond the reach of an ordinary farmer.

Again, it appears that there are no concrete steps taken by the government to stop the menace of smuggling to the bordering countries, colossal wastages, dumping of fertilizer in unusual places, theft, over invoicing, diversion and transit adulteration.

The survey by the organi-sation of some northern states which are considered the hub of farming in the country pictures disturbing scenarios.

Despite the state government subsidy to augment federal government's 25 per cent subsidy, the farmers say the exercise is far from perfect.

It said that there are evidence that Abuja, Katsina, Kaduna, Bauchi, Zamfara are among the states that are yet to get it right.

"Apart from Kwara and Yobe States where the distribution exercises have been hitch - free, the exercises in other States in the North were marred by irregularities. Most farmers across the states monitored in the North could not get the product as they had to fall back on the unsubsidized fertilizer in the market which is pretty expensive," the group said in its preliminary report made available to Daily Trust.

Daily Trust had reported that in Abuja, for instance, 8,100 metric tons were distributed within three days of commencement, but most of the farmers said that they were yet to take delivery of the product. While those who got, received less than the stipulated five bags. A farmer said that he got only one bag which cannot help him much in his farm.

Another farmer said the distributing agents gave the product to marketers who sold it at N3, 000 instead of the official rate of N1, 500. Hence, some of the farmers interviewed accused the distributing agents of diverting the product.

"I waited but got nothing. The agent did not turn up. This is a failure," a farmer said.

In Bauchi State, farmers are worried that although the government has released 35,000 metric tons of fertilizer into the market, the prices of the brands of the commodity have increased by about 124 per cent. At the Muda Lawal and Central markets in Bauchi Metropolis, a bag of Urea goes for N5,500 while the NPK and Superphosphate cost N4,400 and N3,000 per bag respectively. The brands were previously selling for N3,500, N3,000 and N2,000. The state government had previously fixed the price of Urea brand at N1, 800 per bag as against N1,600 sold last year. Farmers in Tafawa Balewa, Toro, Ningi and Bogoro where farming activities have commenced rely on cow dung as an alternative for fertilizer. The rising demand for cow dung has also forced the price upward.

The subsidized fertilizer are sold at different rates. The Urea brand goes for N1,800, NPK N1, 600 and SSP N1, 500. The new prices are 15 per cent higher than last year's.

In Katsina, farmers have accused politicians of conniving with village heads to divert the product. The product was sold for N3, 800 instead of the subsidized rate of N1, 600. Daily Trust gathered that about five farmers share one bag in most centres because of the non-availability of the product, even though the government has approved for distribution 15,000 metric tons. Farmers in Rimi and Bataragarwa, perhaps are the worst hit. For now most of the farmers are in the market trying to buy the normal but expensive fertilizer.

However the good news from Katsina is that the government has set aside huge sum of money for the establishment of fertilizer plants in its three senatorial zones namely: Bakori, Batsari and Maiaduwa. This, it is thought will go a long way to help in easing the tension around fertilizer in the state. It will also help in cutting the prices and thus create job opportunities for the youths.

In Yobe State, report shows that distribution went on properly as there were no visible problems, yet the government purchased additional of 3000 metric tones of assorted fertilizer at the total cost of N298 million. The good news is that the state has commenced production at its fertilizer blending plant. The state has procured 40, 000 metric tons of raw materials for fertilizer worth over N3.5 billion. Yobe State seems to be moving in the right direction.

In Kaduna, farmers pay N1, 500 per bag and in Zamfara State it cost N2,800, even though some of the local farmers we spoke to in Zaria said they have not seen the product, Ditto for Gusau the Zamfara State capital.

It said that in Plateau shortly after the official launching of this year's sale of the commodity at Kassa village near Heipang Airport by Governor David Jonah Jang, the commodity disappeared only to be seen in the open market.

"Fertilizer has become 'gold' in Plateau State as top Government officials, traditional rulers and party loyalists were allocated assorted fertilizer who in turn diverted them to the open market where they are sold above the government controlled price.

"At the venue of the official launching, some traditional rulers were seen trading off the commodity, where a bag was sold to anxious farmers at N5,000. In some local governments in the State, fertilizer is sold between N5,000 and N6,000."

It added that the Plateau State Government and the leadership of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (ALFAN) are at loggerheads over the method of fertilizer distribution which has so far only benefited absentee farmers and middlemen. ALFAN, we gathered, refused the allocation of 90 bags of NPK (Nitrogen Potassium Calcium), 350 bags of Urea and 35 bags of Superphosphate.

In Kwara State, it was reported that the distribution went well and the government was said to have put in place adequate machineries for its enhancement. It could be recalled that the state government put fifty per cent subsidy while local governments also added 20 per cent to bring down the prices of NPK 201010, NPK 151515 and Urea fertilizer to N1,880.00, N2, 040.00 and N1,880.00. This is apart from the 25 per cent subsidy by the federal government.

While the group which carried out the independent monitoring of the distribution commended the fertilizer firms and the federal government for delivering on their pledge, it however regretted that state governments are yet to get it right as they have failed to augment the effort of the federal government.

The report reads in part: "The good news coming from our monitors is that Tak Continental, Golden Fertilizer and Superphosphate Company have justified the confidence reposed in them by the Federal Government. The sixty days ultimatum given the three fertilizer contractors expired on Sunday May 31st with all the States monitored taking delivery of the products."

Reporting on its findings in the states, it said: "Our monitoring of the distribution proper in the States however revealed that some State Governments have failed to complement the efforts of the Federal Government and hardly pay attention to issues of transparency and accountability. While the Federal Government is more interested in providing ordinary farmers with fertilizer to improve their farm yields, some State Governments see the entire distribution exercise as an opportunity to enrich their cronies or as a veritable tool for political patronage."

The monitoring group said there is the need to immediately constitute a Joint Federal Government/State Governments Implementation Committee to effectively plug loopholes so far noticed.

Other recommendations are: An urgent need to arrange for supplementary delivery of fertilizer to States where the products have found their ways into wrong hands and farmers are outraged, adding that the proposed Joint Federal Government/State Governments Implementation Committee must be placed in charge of this exercise.

"We call on the Federal Government to seek the assistance of the anti-corruption agencies in fishing out elements responsible for the diversion of fertilizer. They must be treated as saboteurs because undermining food security is a clear step towards undermining national security.

"Security Agencies must be fully integrated the fertilizer procurement and distribution processes to checkmate corrupt elements.

"Civil society must be mainstreamed into the fertilizer procurement and distribution processes to effectively play the role of the watchdog.

"There is an urgent need to augment fertilizer with the 'local fertilizer.' This may come in the form of extensive research and development of: cow dung, poultry manures, Neem tree and Jatropher plant.

"More States should be encouraged to establish Fertilizer Plants, following the examples of Katsina and Yobe States. This will ease the importation of fertilizer.

"The Federal Government should also make efforts through public private partnership to exploit the rock phosphate deposits in Sokoto-Niger-Kwara axis for phosphate fertilizer production.

"The Federal Government Fertilizer Stock Verification Team must scale up its monitoring and promptly submit reports that would expose those responsible for fertilizer diversions.

"The full weight of the law should descend heavily on agents who divert, or inflate the prices of fertilizer. This will serve as deterrent to others."

Earlier, the Fertilizer Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) had hailed the government for the radical measures adopted in the procurement and distribution of fertilizer for the 2008 farming season. In a letter to the Agriculture Minister and signed by its Chairman Alhaji Sani Dangote, the Association urged the government to withdraw subsidy on fertilizer as it is the main constraint bedeviling its distribution in the country.

Finance Minister Shamsu-deen had earlier hinted newsmen in Washington D.C. recently that he would vote for the removal of subsidy given the chance to do so. He said he hinged his position on the fact that the farmers that are meant to be the beneficiaries do not get the product at the subsidised rate.

Daily Trust had reported that the Senate was probing the agriculture sector. Yet little or nothing has been heard from the lawmakers while Nigerians wait anxiously.

In its Order Paper earlier obtained by this paper, the Senate said it was seeking an explanation on the N30 billion spent annually from 1999 on the procurement and distribution of the fertilizer.

The Order Paper reads in part: "Nigerians are yet to feel the effect of previous colossal amounts invested in the fertilizer procurement.... the average Nigerians have not been able to get the fertilizer at the so-called subsidized rate and at the actual time."

The group had said that the Senate has a big responsibility to shoulder by examining all the components of agriculture in Nigeria. To limit it to only fertilizer is to scratch the surface of a problem.

It added: "The imminent public hearing on fertilizer procurement and distribution is induced by contractors who have flooded everywhere with petitions because they lost out in the 2008 fertilizer supply. If not, we ask, why will the Senate be interested in fertilizer procurement alone?"

At any rate, the monitoring group's preliminary report may not be comprehensive, it could however be used as a sample of the reality within the context of fertilizer distribution in Nigeria.