A stakeholder group, the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) has assured farmers that they will get enough fertiliser for the current farming season, though at a higher price.
Executive Secretary of the association, Mr. Gideon Nagedu, gave the assurance yesterday in Kaduna.
He said the hike in the price of the commodity was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Addressing reporters, Nagedu said NPK fertilisers were available while farmers were complaining about the availability of urea.
He said: “The issue of cost, the price of fertiliser today, without mincing words, we have a big problem across the world. It is not only in Nigeria. The price of everything has gone up. Even in America, farmers are complaining.
“The problem is caused mainly by COVID-19. This is because when COVID-19 came in 2019, most companies were closed down. Now that they opened back again, the demands are so high that it is affecting their capacity to meet the demand. While we are trying to solve that problem, we are now faced with the Russia versus Ukraine war.
“We have four main raw materials in the production of fertilisers. We have urea, we have DAP, we have potassium and we have filler. The urea we are getting from Nigeria is no problem. We are getting from Dangote, we are getting from Indorama and Notore. There is no problem, except for now that we are having some issues.
“As for DAP, we are getting it from Morocco. There is no problem with that. Potassium is now the problem because we are getting it from Russia. But President Muhammadu Buhari has intervened and we can get it. It arrived in Nigeria in June. It is at Onne (in Rivers State)…
