Niger govt to phase out chemical fertilizers.
FROM SAMSON ALFA, MINNA.
Niger state government will soon phase out the use of chemical fertilizers that are hamful to human consumption which also have bad effects to the soil, resort to the use of organic liquid fertilizer.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and rural development in the state,Hon Musa Bawa Bosso stated this in a chat with newsmen in his office in MINNA.
He said as part of governor Umar Bago’s New Niger agenda, the administration in the state is working out modalities to discourage farmers in the state on the use of inorganic fertilizers like Urea,Npk which is dangerous to human health.
Bawa disclosed that the Ministry have been holding meetings with commodity associations to sensitise them on the importance of liquid organic fertilizer to gradually phase out the inorganic fertilizers in the state.
According to the Commissioner,”it was as a result of this that Nigeria crops are rejected over the years abroad as they can not pass through the criteria of quality assurance which also affects the market value of Nigeria crops.”
The Commissioner said youths will be gainfully employed in the 250,000 hectares of land to be cultivated, 10,000 each in the 25 local government areas,adding that 1000 tractors will soon arrive the state as part of MOU with czech’s republic.
” The government will deploy the technology interms of land preparation which have been the challenges confronting farmers in the state, through the provision of modern tractors and accessories tailored for African markets”.
Out of the 25,000 hectares of land, 15 youths will be employed in each of the hectares with one solar megawatt power for each hectares,adding that youth will be engaged in, on and off skills like, planting, herbicide, wedding, hervesting, bagging and transportation.respectively.
“To ensure the realisation of the policies and programs of the government the three years outstanding counterpart funds have been paid to agencies involved in value chain initiatives,fadama and ifad, the Commissioner re-enphasised”.
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