By Moses Kolo
Kafanchan (Kaduna State) – Some guinea corn and millet farmers in Jema’a Local Government Area, Kaduna State, have expressed apprehension of a poor harvest this year due to the scarcity of fertiliser.
The farmers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kafanchan on Friday that the unexpected scarcity of the chemical could discourage farmers from planting crops such as guinea corn and millet this year.
Aliyu Biyu, a farmer, said at the moment, it was already late for growers to apply the chemical to guinea corn and millet assuming they could obtain the scarce commodity in government stores.
“Already it is late to apply fertiliser to crops in the maize category,” he said.
Another farmer, Mr Yahaya Bamaiyi, told NAN that the government needed to procure enough fertiliser at beginning of each farming season to avoid a situation where the commodity would become unavailable.
According to him, this will ensure that there is always enough fertiliser to meet farmers’ needs.
Another cultivator, Kabiru Lelele, advised the state government to give priority attention to fertiliser procurement to guard against scarcity of the commodity.
Responding, Dr Billy Ishaya, the Director, Agriculture and Natural Resources of the local government, advised the farmers to be patient with the government.
Ishaya gave an assurance that the commodity would soon become available to the farmers.
The director expressed the government’s determination to fulfil the promises it made to farmers in the state.
He urged the farmers to ensure that they bought and stored the commodity whenever it became available so they could use it next year in case of scarcity. (NAN)