Stakeholders query CBN fertilizers sale

 

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s agricultural sector have raised concerns over the reported sale of fertilizers by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), pointed at how relevant this was to its mandate just as they questioned the expiration date of the items.

The sector stakeholders speaking at the recently organized quarterly interface meeting with Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) in Abuja punctured the CBN’s involvement in the direct sale of fertilizers saying that the act has contradicted its monetary and financial policies mandate to economy development.

They argued further that farmers must be observant of the expiration date of the items in order to avoid the negative impacts they could inflict on soil and crops, adding that the CBN involvement has taken away the means of agro dealers livelihood.

It was said that if the products were indeed procured years back, there could be concerns whether the fertilizers have not exceeded their shelf life, says an agricultural expert who pointed out that storing an input like fertilizer beyond a period of time could lead to ineffectiveness on crops' yield.

Stakeholders also asked that the fertilizers under distribution be subjected to scrutiny in order to avoid giving out expired inputs that were recovered from the last administration of late President Mohammad Buhari under the Anchor Borrower Program to farmers.

They urged the policymakers to review the arrangement, and ensure that input distribution is returned to agencies and private-sector actors with the expertise and mandate to manage agricultural inputs supply systems.

Stakeholders also stressed that transparency around the source, quality, and distribution channels of fertilizers is critical, particularly as farmers prepare for the upcoming planting seasons.