The Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI)
is to deliver four million bags of 50kg Nitrogen, Phosphorous and
Potassium (NPK) fertilisers to farmers at an affordable price, by
December.

Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President
(Media & Publicity), disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja
on Sunday.

The statement which was signed Mr Atta Esah, Deputy Director
(Information), State House, said Shehu spoke at an audience
participation programme on FRCN Kaduna, entitled: `Hannu Da Yawa’.

According to Shehu, the projected delivery of the commodity by
December is in addition to the six million bags of 50kg fertilisers
already sold to farmers since the Initiative commenced early this year.

‘‘The problem of the shortage of fertilisers and its attendant high
cost plaguing the nation’s agricultural production, seemingly
intractable for decades, have been resolved following the successful
execution of the mandate of the PFI.

‘‘Since the implementation of the Initiative, the six million 50kg
bags of NPK fertilisers were purchased State Governments and
agro-dealers across the country,’’ he said.

The presidential aide also revealed that the 11 fertiliser blending
plants in the country would be increased to 18 the end of the year,
adding that this would in turn provide direct employment to no fewer
than 50,000 Nigerians.

He noted that the production of locally-blended fertilisers had saved
the Federal Government about 150 million dollars this year, hitherto
spent on foreign exchange; and N60 billion in budgetary provisions for
fertiliser subsidy.

He added that the successful implementation of the PFI had made
fertilisers available to Nigerian farmers at affordable prices and in
time for the 2017 wet season farming.

‘‘Last year, Daily Trust newspaper reported that a bag of 50kg NPK fertiliser was sold at N10, 900 in Benue.

“Today the same commodity is being sold at about N6, 500 in different
locations across the country, while the government-approved price is
N5, 500.

Quoting the same newspaper report, Shehu noted that a bag of maize
which was sold at N21, 000 last year is currently being sold at an
average of N10, 000.

According to him, this is an indication that the Initiative has
enhanced food security as a result of the increase in food production.

“There is also a reduction in food-induced inflation while economic
activities across the agriculture value chain are very impressive,’’ he
further noted.