The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has prevented the Federal Government from importing muriate of potash (MOP), one of the main raw materials needed for mixing the farm inputs, from Russia, which has contributed to the country’s high fertilizer costs.
Urea and limestone are two of the four main raw materials used in the mixing of compound fertilizers (NPKs), while di-ammonia phosphate (DAP) and muriate of potash (MOP) are imported from Belarus and Russia and Morocco, respectively.
Conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and the restrictions brought on by the Covid-19 epidemic resulted in a considerable gap, particularly for MOP, which is obtained from Belarus and Russia.
NPK fertilizer bag prices have increased from N5,500 to N28,000. However, industry participants have criticized the federal government for importing raw materials when they are readily available in Nigeria.
They claim that Sokoto state in Nigeria contains a phosphate rock deposit, and that the Ministry of Solid Minerals must give local exploration of oxides of potash (MOP) and DAP from the area of the Sokoto basement complex the attention it deserves.
Dr. Farouk Hamzat, the executive director of Al-Yuma Fertilizer and Chemicals, claimed that “Nigeria is just sitting on the gold mines and not paying much emphasis in the area of research and development. To reduce that overdependence on other foreign countries for the raw materials, there is a need to intensify our efforts towards the exploration of these two major inputs that we import from overseas.”
However, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that in order to address the high cost of fertilizer, the ministry was collaborating with the pertinent organizations to source the two essential raw materials locally through the Solid Mineral Development Fund in order to guard against future scarcity. He made this statement yesterday in Abuja at the presentation of certificates and sales permits to fertilizer operators.
In the meantime, the federal government has issued certificates to about 250 fertilizer companies and agro dealers in accordance with the Fertilizer Control Act 2019, which mandates that all fertilizer distribution companies must be duly registered by the Farm Inputs Support Services Department of the ministry.
While congratulating the operators who met all the requirements and were properly issued with their certificates of registration or sales permits, the Permanent Secretary, who was represented by the Director Special Duties in the Ministry, Mrs. Fausat Lawal, stated that a grace period of two months had been granted for those who had not obtained theirs because failure to do so would result in the closure of their facilities and subsequent prosecution.
The non-licensed business owners won’t be able to manufacture, blend, import, market, or distribute fertilizers in the nation, she declared. Therefore, the suppliers are asked to make sure that only authorized agro-dealers are permitted to purchase their goods.
When discussing the need for certificates, Ishaq Buba, the Deputy Director of the Department of Farm Input Support Service, stated that it was done to prevent fertilizer adulteration in the nation and guarantee that the fertilizer being sold to farmers was of the proper quality and quantity.
