From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Nigeria Agro Input Dealers Association (NAIDA) has raised the alarm over the proliferation of adulterated agricultural inputs like fertilizer and round-tripping of products.
Its National President, Kabiru Fara, at the inauguration of NAIDA’s Compliance Monitoring Team on Agricultural Input Distribution/Sales, yesterday in Abuja, accused those he called “dubious agro dealers” of perpetrating the act.
Fara explained that the inauguration of the monitoring team across the country would reduce the atrocities carried out by some dealers within the association.
“It is pertinent at this juncture to bring to fore the outcries by the public on the dubious attitudes of agro dealers particularly with regards to adulteration of agric inputs, round tripping of products especially fertilizer which for all intent & purposes is perhaps exaggerated.
“I could recall our meeting with the Hon. Minister of Agric & Food Security on Tuesday 16th of January 2024 in the conference room of the ministry wherein the Minister expressed his anxiety over the conduct of Agro dealers in the just concluded dry season wheat program concerning round tripping of fertilizer.
“On Investigation, we found out that the allegations on the round tripping were more of rumors being flaunted by nay sayers.
“I am not standing here to say that agro dealers are angels neither would I classify us as devil incarnate. As we all are aware, human beings all over the world are bound to always wanting to cut corners and that is why laws/punishments are established in statute books to address these behavioral patterns accordingly.
“It is on this note and recognizing that we have some of us that are culpable of these malpractices in the sales/distribution of agricultural inputs that this compliance monitoring team is being put in place in all the 36 States and FCT with a view to addressing the malpractice accordingly.
“I wish to reiterate that the inauguration of this monitoring team across the country will no doubt reduce if not stop the atrocities being perpetrated by unscrupulous dealers within our Association and we promise to self-regulate ourselves so that the burden of the Ministry of Agriculture which is the recognized Government regulator is reduced considerably,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fara lamented the scarcity of Urea in the markets, a situation he said was caused by the stoppage of its distribution by the major producers namely; Indorama Petrochemicals, Notore, and Dangote Fertilizer companies.
He sought the Minister’s “quick/urgent intervention on this matter with a view to calling these companies to start this essential input to eradicate the scarcity in the Nigerian markets as soon as possible.”
Also, the National Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Dr Kabir Ibrahim, said the association would continue to sanitize the sector to ensure bountiful harvests.