FG shuts down fake fertiliser plants, seizes diverted consignments in Kano

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Friday disclosed the shutdown of four fake fertiliser blending plants operating without licence in Kano State.

The Director, Fertiliser Control Office of the Farm Inputs Support Department of the Ministry, Kwaido Sani, in a statement on Friday, emphasized that the Federal Government Task Force discovered that the plants were blending without due authorisation and mixing substandard components to produce adulterated fertiliser sold to farmers. 

Sani said the inspection of the plants was necessary to rid Nigerian markets of adulterated fertilisers and ensure that no firm produced fertilisers without government approval. 

The Director stated that the National Fertilizer Quality Control Act 2019 and Regulations 2020, will ensure that any individual doing the business must register with the Farm Inputs Support Department and must possess the requisite facilities to operate in the sector. 

The Director stated: “This is a market operation, we are not interested in arresting anybody, our interest is to make people comply with the provisions of this act.

“Fertilizer is a very critical input in farm production” and the Federal Government will not tolerate any act of sabotage in ensuring food security in the country.”

He said a truckload of adulterated fertilizer had been confiscated as evidence while the defaulting shops were sealed.

“We have also found huge cache of fertiliser blending raw materials, which are not supposed to be sold in the market,” he said,

He said the defaulting marketers arrested in possession of illegal blending raw materials would face the appropriate wrath of law after completion of investigation.

The sealed plants include Albarka Agro-Allied and Chemical Fertiliser, Nagarta Agro Fertiliser, both in the Zara community of Kumbotso Local Government.

Samu Alheri plant in Jido community of Dawakin Kudu Local Government and one other retail shop in Getso market of Gwarzo Local Government Area of the state.

The Secretary, Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Gideon Negedu, commended the task force, saying the process would help eradicate the substandard and adulterated fertilisers from the Nigerian Agro-Allied sector.