Bauchi farmers to redeem fertilizer in 18 centres across the state – official

The Bauchi State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Development. Mohamed Yusuf, said on Monday that 18 centres had been created to enable farmers in the state collect their agro-allied inputs without difficulty.

Speaking in Bauchi at a ceremony marking the commencement of distribution of the inputs, the director said 31,756 farmers in the state would benefit from the Growth Enhancement Agricultural Scheme (GES) of the Federal Government.

According to him, redemption of the inputs will be on first come, first serve basis.

“Rice farmer will have two bags of NPK (100 kg), one bag of Urea, one Bag of Organic fertilizer and one or two litres of micro nutrient, depending on the type of product and 25kg of improved rice seeds at subsidized rate of 75 percent at N18, 687.50.

“Maize farmers will get one bag (50kg) NPK, one bag (50kg) urea, one bag of Organic fertilizer and one or two litres of  micro nutrient,  depending on the type of product at N12,500, while wheat farmers will receive one bag (50kg) NPK, one Bag (50kg) Urea, one bag of organic fertilizer, all at the cost of N10,750 .

“Ground nut farmer will receive two bags of 100kg SSP fertilizer, one bag of  (50Kg) organic fertilizer, one or two litres of micro nutrients, depending on the type of product ,three sachets of fungicide, two literes of herbicides,500mls of pesticides and 20Kg of seeds at N17,852,’’ he said.

He said that farmers would receive 2 liters of liquid urea at N3, 000.00 as against the 50kg of granular, which cost N4, 000.00.

Similarly, Yusuf said that the powered micronutrients (2kg) was approved  substitute of the liquid one which farmers received in their GES text massages as two litres, adding that one litre of the liquid type of organic fertilizer equals 50kg of the granular form .

In his remark, Bauchi State Commissioner of Agriculture, Yakubu Kirfi said that the exercise was a Federal Government’s initiative to support farmers in the state.

He urged farmers to reciprocate the gesture by supporting government at all levels.