No fertilizer in market, as planting season commences — Investigations

As the 2020 planting season commences, investigations have revealed the country does not have enough fertilizer, a development posing serious challenge to farmers across the country.

This, according to reliable sources, is due to inability of fertilizer companies to import the product.

The Guardian learned the scarcity was largely due to the Federal Government’s refusal to grant waivers to importers of about 1.5million metric tonnes of fertilizer to bridge the demand and supply gap.

They also blamed insurgency in the Northeast because fertilizer is believed to be one of the materials used for producing explosives.

Contrary to reports that the minister granted waivers to some fertilizer companies, a source disclosed that the minister did not grant a waiver to any company because “he does not have the power to do so.”

Reacting, National President of the Inorganic Fertilizer Manufactures and Dealers Association, Mr. Felix Okonti debunked claims that the country does not have enough fertilizer.

He accused the Federal Government of colluding with Indian multi-nationals to pull the country down.

“How do you run a country like a mafia organisation, wherein selected companies are given preference, which is contrary to the Senate 2017 resolution that prohibited discriminatory waiver for companies; which says all players should be given a level playing ground. If they want to give waiver or concession, it should be industry wise and all participants must have equal opportunities,“ he said.