Yahaya subsidises fertiliser to Gombe farmers

Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe on Monday started sales of fertiliser at subsidised rates to farmers in the state for the 2023 wet cropping season.

Yahaya, while flagging off the sales at at Lawanti, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe, pegged the price of the commodity at N19,000 per NPK bag.

He stated that government’s intervention was to cushion the impact of high cost of fertilisers on farmers and encourage them to effectively play their roles towards boosting food security in the state.

“Having considered the high cost of fertiliser in the market and the need to support our farmers, the state government has decided to fix the price of fertiliser at N19,000 for a bag of NPK.

“This represents 25 per cent subsidy as against the market price of over N26,000.

“We understand that high cost of fertiliser and other farm implements can be a significant barrier to our farmers.

“That’s why we are working diligently to make high-quality fertilisers and other farm inputs available at reduced prices to alleviate the financial burden on our farmers.

“Our aim is to empower our farmers with the essential resources to enhance crop yields, improve soil fertility, increase profitability, and achieve sustainable agricultural practices,” he said.

Yahaya said for this year’s cropping season, government procured 160 trucks (5000 Metric tons) of fertiliser at the cost of N2.8 billion, which would be sold at the subsidised rate.

The governor also said he had approved a distribution method that would ensure that the procured fertiliser reached the grassroots farmers.

He urged farmers and pastoralists in the state to embrace peaceful coexistence in their various communities during the cropping season.

On the request to employ workers to complement the existing workforce in the ministry, Yahaya said steps would be taken in that regard to engage such workers and bridge the workforce gap at the ministry.

Earlier in his speech, Mr Ibrahim Usman, the Director Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, commended the state government’s efforts at revamping the agriculture sector.

Usman said the measures taken by the government in addressing farmers-herders clashes had helped in boosting food security.

According to him, the annual vaccination against trans-boundary animal diseases which had reduced the prevalence of disease has improved the livestock sector.

The director appealed to Yahaya to employ more veterinary doctors, agriculture and extension officers to address the shortage of staff at the ministry.