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From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
Gombe state governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya has called on farmers in the state to remain calm as the state government is working to provide a subsidized fertilizer for the wet season farming.
According to the governor, the government’s plan to provide fertilizer for the farmers to use during wet season farming was left hanging due to challenges that were occasioned by ongoing global challenges such as COVID-19 as well as the ongoing Russia and Ukraine crisis.
Speaking during a live media chat on Monday evening in Gombe, the governor assured that the state government was working to provide the fertilizer which is an essential input for farmers in the state. He said: “First of all, I have to apologize and say sorry to our people for the situation that we are and this is not just in Gombe state.
“This is a global crisis which was occasioned by the COVID and the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine as well as other challenges around the world. We had some challenges in the provision of the fertilizer last year and am afraid this year might be more difficult because things have not improved.
This is in addition to the fact that our currency keeps depreciating and prices of things getting up more high, these are very big challenges. But even with that, we will still try to get the fertilizer for our farmers before the end of this June, to support our people and we will make sure that it is subsidized in price,” Governor Yahaya assured.
Farmers in the state had lamented the high cost of inputs such as fertilizer calling on the government to intervene as could it scare the community to abandon their farmlands which may not augur well for the state.
According to Babayo Adamu a farmer from Tumfure community, most farmers like him who had plans to return to the farm at the commencement of the rainy season are now worried about the price of fertilizer and are terrified.
He told Daily Sun in an interview that on a visit to Gombe main market he observed that fertilizer products such as PK 15-15-15 that used to cost between N13, 000 to N15, 000 and N18, 000 now sell for N31, 000. “A 50kg of Urea which was sold N11,000 and N12, 000 last year is now N19, 500 and even up to N20, 000”.
He further explained the cost of the fertilizer would affect production for next year in the state if nothing is done by the state government. He said: “Many of us the farmers are being forced to stay at home and those who cannot just stay at home for the whole year are going other crops that don’t need much fertilizer.
Many farmers are now going for Millets instead of their usual Maize, Beans and other crops. We really need the government to look into this situation and take action on it,” Babayo said.
