Abubakar Sadiq Isah
30 June 2008
The authorities of Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, have subsidized the prices of fertilizer by five percent to farmers of the council in this year's farming season.
Chairman of the council, Alhaji Zakari Angulu Dobi, who announced this while flagging off the sales of fertilizer and tractor hiring to farmers at Tunga-Maje community, said the decision by the council to subsidize the price of fertilizer to farmers was to enhance adequate food production in the council and beyond.
He said about 150 metric tons of assorted fertilizers were allocated by the federal government to the council that comprises of 60 metric tons (1, 200) bags of NPK and 30 metric tons of (600 bags) of SSP, which he said were sold to the council at government price of N1, 500 per bag for (Urea).
He said the fertilizers were sold to farmers at N1, 000, while NPK was sold to farmers at the rate of N600, instead of N1, 100, government price.
The chairman listed agriculture as one of the major focuses of his administration and he pledged his determination to assist farmers with necessary farming tools, fertilizer and chemicals in order to cushion food crisis in the country.
"If fertilizer goes for N1, 500, we believe that it is only few farmers that can be able buy it. So based on that the council met and agreed that we should subsidize this fertilizer to a more affordable price so that our farmers can buy," he said.
The chairman who also presented two brand new tractors to the farmers said the tractors would be given for hiring to farmers at subsidize rate in order to encourage farmers and boost food production in this year farming season in the council.
Alhaji Dobi assured the farmers that the distribution process for the commodities will be carried out at each ward by a committee that would include councillors, village heads, and representatives of religious groups as well as district heads.
Speaking after the flag off, the Head of Farmers in the council, Alhaji Salihu Na-Annabi thanked the council chairman and his members for subsidizing the price of fertilizer to farmers.
He appealed to the chairman to refurbish other grounded tractors at the council in order to assist farmers in the rural areas.
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