Notore’s farm inputs production, innovative distribution gets FG commendation

The efforts of Notore, an agricultural inputs production firm in bringing farm inputs that had eluded rural farmers for decades to their door step have been commended by Akinwunmi Adesina, minister of agriculture and rural development.

Adesina made the commendation during the official opening of Al-Yuma Ventures state-of-the-art warehouse in Jigawa State and launch of Notore Small Pack Distribution enhancement (SPaDE) project. Adesina assured that the government would continue to assist agro-allied industries with a view to empowering them to contribute positively to the agricultural growth and economic development of the nation.

Adesina, who spoke through a director from the ministry, Yahaya Tanko, described Notore’s innovative ideas as formidable steps in moving the nation’s agriculture forward, saying the innovation brought about by the intervention of firms like Notore will remain unquantifiable, considering their role in bringing fertiliser and other farm inputs closer to local farmers.

Onajite Okoloko, CEO, Notore, also speaking at the event, said the company was set to develop the capacity of over 2 million farmers across the country and expose them to modern farming techniques between now and 2015, noting that Notore as an agro-allied firm remained committed to making inputs available to farmers at the grassroots across the country.

“The Notore fertiliser plant is currently the only urea fertiliser plant in sub-Saharan Africa. We currently produce urea and blended NPK fertiliser products. We are also proud to say that we operate an effective and world-class supply chain structure with over 100 distribution partners reaching 1.8 million farmers across Nigeria,” according to Okoloko.

Describing how the initiative being launched began, he said Ali Yusuf, a well-known businessman and Notore partner in 2011, while seeking more profitable business opportunities, realised that a gap existed in the fertiliser market. Okoloko explained that Yusuf saw how local farmers lacked quality and affordable agricultural inputs, especially fertiliser and seeds, and decided to register as a Notore distribution partner. Since joining the Notore family, his sales volume increased from about 5,000 metric tons in the first year to over 25,000 metric tons in a couple of years.

Notore is determined to make fertiliser available and affordable to the farmers, contrary to what was obtained in the past when the commodity was made the exclusive preserve of the well-to-do, he said.

“Our effort, with the support of our distribution partners, has made it possible for every farmer to lay their hands on the 1 kilogramme fertiliser packs, 10 kilogrammes fertiliser, and if the value of what they intend to do with it increases, then they can graduate to 50 kilogrammes fertiliser if they like.

“We are also planning to reach out to farmers through our tricycles, which we intend to use to supply our products to the most remote villages in the state,” he said.

He acknowledged the role played by Yusuf, who is also the person that constructed the multi-million naira warehouse in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital.

The state governor, Sule Lamido, in a speech read on his behalf by the Speaker of Jigawa State House of Assembly, Adamu Sarawa, expressed delight over the foresight of Yusuf who brought development to his home state.

The governor further urged other Jigawa indigenes in sensitive positions to come home and invest as the Notore major distributor had done.