Officials raise apprehension over potency of CBN fertilizers

 

The Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) 2.5million bags of fertilizers being donated to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS) very recently may have been facing time expiration integrity with fund excavation logistics challenges. Foodfarmnews news gathered.

CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso just recently at the Agric Minister's office in Abuja had announced the release of 2.15 million bags of fertilizers valued at over N100 billion to assist farmers across the nation through FMAFS.

Also a letter of handling over of these agro chemical items has been handed to the FMAFS according to our findings within the ministry.

Foodfarmnews finding revealed that the fertilizers claimed to have been procured by the nation's apex bank at over N100billion were materials already purchased during the time of the former CBN Governor for the defund anchor program stored across the states for over two years with their potencies as agro chemicals for yield increase already expired. 

 

A confidential source within the FMAFS told us that the potency of all the agro chemicals being promised to the ministry may have expired  as they are commodities purchased over two years ago for the defund anchor borrowers program of the former CBN governor, Mr. Emefiele.

Another source said that the CBN didn't purchase any agro chemicals but rather relied on the old purchase during the last administration of Governor Emefiele saying those items are already expired.

Our sources expressed anxiety over the prolonged storage of the fertilizers which majorly consist of NPK type as they are apprehensive of the agro inputs' efficacy to food production pointing to the likely damages they could cause to our soils ecosystem.

Foodfarmnews gathered that the FMAFS is now faced with the fund logistics of how to retrieve all these agro chemical inputs across wherever they are being stored in the country since they are not physically handed over to the ministry.

" The fertilizers, originally procured during the tenure of the former Central Bank of Nigeria, Governor, Emefiele, under the Anchor Borrowers Program was distributed nationwide and stored in undisclosed warehouses. However, it is now feared that the prolonged storage may have rendered the fertilizers ineffective and could lead to soil damage if applied by farmers" said our sources.

Additionally, there are worries about the financial loss farmers may incur if the expired fertilizers are distributed to them.