The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has sealed four unregistered fertiliser blending plants in Kano State.
A truckload of adulterated fertiliser was also seized in the process.
During inspections of the various plants located at different areas of the state, the ministry’s task force discovered that, in addition to blending without authorisation, the facilities were also mixing substandard components to manufacture contaminated fertiliser and sell it to farmers in the state.
According to Oke Sunday, the Director, Fertiliser Control Officer of the Ministry’s Farm Inputs Support Department, the inspection is vital to rid the Nigerian markets of contaminated fertiliser and ensure that no firm produces fertiliser without the government’s approval.
He said, “There is a new law in town called the National Fertiliser Quality Control Act. There are a lot of things specified by the law, that for any individual to do business in the fertiliser sector, he must be registered with the Farm Inputs Support Department.
“This is a market operation, we are not interested in arresting anybody, our interest is to make people to comply with the provisions of this act.”
Sunday added, “Fertiliser is a very critical input in farm production and the federal government will not tolerate any act sabotaging efforts to ensure food security in the country.
“We have sealed the defaulting plants, we told them their offenses and asked them not to temper with the evidences until we come back again.
“We have also found huge cache of fertiliser blending raw materials, which are not supposed to be sold in the market.”
He said the defaulting marketers arrested in possession of illegal blending raw materials would upon completion of investigation face the law.
Also, the Secretary, Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Gideon Negedu, said the move is a right step to eradicate the Nigerian agro-market of sub standard and adulterated fertilisers.
