Fertilizer to farmers AFAN wants direct sales.

All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Edo has appealed to Gov. Godwin Obaseki to ensure fertilizer from the state owned fertilizer plant are sold directly to farmers in the state.

The Edo North coordinator of AFAN, AlhAji Abdullahi Oshiobugie, made this appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Sunday.

Oshiobugie said the appeal became necessary so that farmers did not suffer unjustly with the activity of middlemen in form of high prices for the product.

The AFAN coordinator, who confirmed to NAN that the plant have fully commenced production, said government must put a machinery in motion to forestall diversion or hoarding of the product from farmers.

“In as much as we want the government or the investor to make profit from the plant, it however shouldn’t be at the expense of the farmers in the state
“if the government deems it necessary to have distributors for the product, then the farmers should be involved in the process in order to check activities of these middlemen.

“Our experience in the past in addition to the current happening in the petroleum sector, also suggest that government must guard against the hoarding of the product with the aim of increasing the price by middlemen.

“Why we remain grateful to the government for seeing to it that the plant has finally commenced production after its inauguration by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, we want the product not only to be available to farmers, but at the controlled price.”

Similarly, Oshiobugie appealed to the government to assist the farmers in the area with land preparation as well as making farm implements available to farmers at cheaper prices.

He said  that when this was done, prices of food stuff would not only crash, but ensure bumper harvest as well.