Agricultural materials dealers and fertiliser distributors across the country, after touring the construction site and appraising the progress of work at the world-class Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited’s (IEPL) $1.2 billion fertiliser plant in Port Harcourt, have called on the Federal Government to align the company’s planned fertiliser production by Q1 2016 with the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme, which has been transforming the agricultural sector.
According to the agro dealers and fertiliser distributors, who visited the fertiliser complex, such alignment would “bring everyone on board… Indorama fertiliser would be a huge success, considering the huge acceptance and patronage of their products already in the markets.”
The GES scheme is a flagship of the Federal Government through which farm inputs are accessed freely, or at subsidised rates by farmers. The scheme is being expanded to include access to farm machinery, loan facilities, insurance and extension services.
It is recalled that the scheme has seen the giving out of free seedlings, fertilisers to farmers across the country. For example, some 18,580 fishermen and 14,800 fish farmers (totalling 33,380) were supported by the scheme between 2013 and 2014 across the country.
Recently, some 45 agro dealers and fertilisers drawn from 17 states, visited the Indorama fertiliser plant to see progress of work, and the plans by Indorama management to successfully complete the plant, and commence production of 1.4 million metric tons per annum in the first quarter of 2016.
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Kabiru Umarfara (from Kano), who spoke along with other agro dealers, said aligning the incoming Indorama fertiliser with the GES would help move Nigeria’s agriculture from import-based to production-based.
While Muktar Doguwa from Kaduna State said he was happy that such huge plant was being built in Nigeria, saying already, “the Indorama fertiliser in the market is quite good, with high quality.”
For Moses Onuoha, from Enugu State and president of agro dealers in the South East geopolitical zone, the Indorama fertiliser message was a positive one for Nigeria, and one that should be embraced by all agro dealers in the South East region.
Tiebet Joshua from Akwa Ibom State said: “Indorama has opened our eyes to huge opportunities in the fertiliser sector,” and promised to sell the idea to his state government, which he said, had shown tremendous interest in agriculture.
Olawoyin Sunday Adeditan, from Oyo State, commended Indorama for the vision, stating that farmers in the South West geopolitical zone would find the fertiliser very useful.
Addressing the agro dealers, Manish Mundra, the managing director/CEO of Indorama companies in Nigeria, unveiled the company’s plans to use its fertiliser to revolutionise Nigeria’s agricultural sector, empower the nation’s farmers, increase crop yield and make agro-dealers happy stakeholders.
Mundra said that Nigeria’s fertiliser story was about to change, adding that by 2016, Indorama will make Nigeria to become self-sufficient in NPK and Urea fertilisers, and thereby change fertiliser business in the country from import-based to production-based.
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