Shazin, who announced the subsidy during the flag-off of fertilizer sales for this year’s farming season, said 300 metric tones of NPK, Urea and SSP fertilizers were purchased from the FCT Agric Secretariat at the cost of N2, 500 per bag.
According to him, the council deemed it necessary to subsidize the prices due to the fact that 70 percent of residents of the area are peasant farmers.
He said any counter-part fund, whether from agric or any other sector, will be taking up by the council for the benefit of its residents.
The council chairman assured that arrangements have been put in place to purchase agro-chemicals, farming implements and two brand new tractors that would be hired to farmers at subsidize rates in order to boost food production in the area as well as improve the country’s economy.
He advised farmers to make judicious use of the fertilizers and warned that any person found diverting or selling them to middlemen who are not genuine farmers would be prosecuted.
Earlier, FCT agric Director, Adamu Wakili Zhinzhe, said the agric secretariat decided to subsidize fertilizers to the farmers in order to encouraging them during the farming season to achieve bumper harvest.
Also speaking, Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Danladi Etsu Zhin, yesterday distributed six thousand bags of fertilizers to local farmers across the council with a view to boosting agricultural activities in the area.
Speaking to newsmen at Kuje Store House in Abuja, the council boss stated that his administration procured about 6,000 bags of fertilizers from the FCT administration so that farmers could have enough quantities to use in their farm land.
He said the council purchased each bag of fertilizer at the rate of N2, 100 while farmers are expected to buy each at a subsidized rate of N1, 100 per bag, saying that farmers should use the opportunity to cultivate more crops so as to record bumper harvest in the year.
According to him, the distribution exercise included representatives of farmers, community leaders as well as elected councillors in the 10l wards across the council.
“It is good to reach out to farmers through this means. This is because it will enable them to use the fertilizers judiciously and produce more food for their families in particular and the society at large. Let me also tell you that the council has put necessary measures in place to tackle the unwholesome activities of middlemen who are always fond of sharp practices,” he added.
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Farmers to buy fertilizer at N1,000 in Kwali