fertilizer |
Last month, the
Nigerian Army impounded about 135 trucks of fertilizer belonging to
Notore Chemical Limited in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The fertilizer was meant for various farming communities across the North as the rain-fed season has begun.
Daily Trust
gathered that the 135 trucks were released after the intervention of the
minister of agriculture and the Presidency. However instead of allowing
the trucks to continue with their journey, they were directed to
proceed to different military formations for the dealers who ordered the
fertilizer to collect them after clearance.
This makes it
extremely difficult for the dealers to get the fertilizer they ordered
over a month ago on time, thereby creating scarcity of the product in
the market.
Daily Trust also
gathered that the Nigerian Army has now set a new regulation on the
movement of fertilizer to any part of the North.
The military said
that fertiliser must be accompanied by military escort in Hilux vans to
every destination. This condition, however, did not go down well with
Notore chemical company.
The army's argument
was that urea is been used by the insurgents in the North to make IEDs
or explosives. But sources from the company said urea is not the major
component in the making of IEDs. The sources said nitric acid, which is
used by few laboratories and industries, is the major element.
The source added
that controlling nitric acid or banning it is more appropriate instead
than urea that is used by mostly millions smallholder farmers.
Notore delivers
about 50 trucks of fertilizer every day before the encounter with the
military. By this new regulation, 50 hilux vans will have to be on the
road daily.
This will make it
difficult for the company to produce fertilizer for Nigerian farmers as
sources told our reporters that it has since stopped production for the
local consumptions.
This is because if
the company bears the cost of providing these hilux vans to pilot every
truck that delivers fertiliser on an average of 14 days, the poor farmer
will be at the receiving end because the price will go up by 30% or
40%.
Scarcity of
fertiliser in the country will also affect agricultural output by 20%
and the product will be beyond the reach of many small scale farmers,
thereby jeopardizing the nation's food security target.
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