OCP Africa said it was distributing NPK 20:10:10 fertilizers to 7,500 smallholder farmers in Niger state as part of COVID-19 palliative intervention.
OCP Africa is one of the leading companies in the global production and exportation of phosphate-based fertilizers.
Mr. Isaac Odey, Business Development Officer, OCP Africa Nigeria, said during the flag-off of distribution of the fertilizers in Lambata of Gurara local government area of the state.
Odey said that the intervention was to support the federal and state government’s efforts in ensuring food security in the country.
“OCP Africa is supporting each farmer to access two bags of the PFI blended NPK 20:10:10 at N4,500 per bag as against the recommended N5,000 per bag.
”In Niger, 7,500 farmers will be reached through three fertilizer distribution outlets within agricultural producing zones creating employment and empowerment for 71 people in stock management, training, extension service, and produce offtake,” Odey said.
He said that the palliative was aimed at supporting smallholder farmers across several states of Nigeria.
”This will help to mitigate the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the current farming season through distribution and access to subsidized fertilizers and other farm inputs,” he said.
He added that another support of OCP Africa was training and extension services, access to markets, and digital technology, in a bid to increase crop yield and ensure food security as the farming season commences.
Odey said that the outlets include; Lambata, Zungeru, and Bida which cut across the three senatorial districts of the state, adding that each outlet was entitled to 250 tons of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizers.
In his remarks, Alhaji Zakari Jikantoro, state Commissioner for Agricultural and Rural Development, lauded OCP Africa’s efforts to support farmers with the right type of fertilizer as a palliative to boost their production.
Jikantoro, represented by Alhaji Suleiman Almustapha, Managing Director of the Niger State Agricultural Mechanisation Development Authority (NAMDA), said the state government would continue to collaborate with agro-dealers to build the capacity of extension staff and provide inputs for farmers.
“OCP Africa intervention is a commendable effort and as government, we will continue to collaborate with any company ready to assist our farmers to increase the production of crops,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Malam Hashimu Usman, also commended OCP Africa intervention of providing farmers with fertilizer at subsidized rates.
“We are happy with OCP because before now, we buy fertilizer for between N7,000 and N8,000 per bag, but today we are buying at affordable prices of N4,500. This will help boost our food production,” he said.
According to reports, the OCP Africa is working with the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) and the blending plants under the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers of Nigeria (FEPSAN).
The idea is to contribute to the PFI objectives of providing access to locally produced NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer for smallholder farmers.
