The Niger State Government has vowed to clampdown on sellers of adulterated fertilizers as part of effort to ensure that farmers have access to high-quality products that meet safety standards.
Dr Mathew Ahmed, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture disclosed this at an event organized in collaboration with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, AGRA, to review the state’s policy on agriculture with stakeholders from various sectors, including government ministries, academia, and farmers’ organisations in Minna.
“The move is aimed at protecting farmers from exploitation and boosting agricultural productivity in the state.
“Many farmers don’t know where to go to get good fertiliser, but under this new policy, we are going to take serious measures to ensure that we help our farmers.
“We are going to take the fertilisers from the sellers and analyse the samples to test the efficacy of the fertiliser and safety standards. This is because our farmers spend a lot and at the end of the day don’t get value from their farms.
“These are part of the things we are going to do differently. We are going to propose it to the state government,” Dr Ahmed explained.
Earlier, the Niger State Commissioner of Agriculture, Hon. Musa Salihu Bawa Bosso, stated that the state agriculture policy currently under review was developed in 2020 which expired in 2024.
“The decision for stakeholder engagement is to review it with new ideas and innovation.
“The new policy would be developed to align with the current agricultural agenda of the Niger State Government, which will centre on developing an agricultural investment plan and a state agriculture gender policy from 2025 to 2030.
“The new policy will also drive the economy through mechanised agriculture. The farmers will feel its impact, because it is going to be a total package that will suit the vision of the state government, going by the huge investment made by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago in the agric sector. This will make the state a powerhouse of agriculture in the country,” Bosso said.
Also, the programme manager of AGRA, Mr Godswill Aguyi, stated that the organization is supporting smallholder farmers in the state, particularly in the rice and soybean value chains.
Aguyi explained that AGRA is also assisting the state in developing policies, investment plans, and flagship documents to improve the agriculture sector.
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