KATSINA – The Katsina State Environmental Protection Agency (KSEPA) said on Monday that it had developed a method of recycling organic wastes into manure for sell to farmers.
Alhaji Lawal Charanchi, KSEPA Executive Secretary, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Katsina that the agency had been selling the waste as manure to farmers at subsidised rates.
NAN reports that a lorry load of the organic fertiliser is sold for N2,000.
“Whenever we evacuate the wastes from the Katsina metropolis, our tippers dump the garbage at three sites.
“We later use labourers to sieve through the wastes and remove polythene bags, metals and plastics.
“The labourers, under the supervisions of experts, produce clean manure from the waste which the agency sells to farmers at subsidised rates,’’ Charanchi said.
He said that the agency conveys the manure to farmers with its vehicles to encourage them in its usage, and as part of subsidy.
Charanchi said that the agency also derives revenue from the plastics and metal objects sourced from the wastes.
He said that the items were sold to scavengers who visit the dump sites daily to earn a living.
“We decided to convert wastes as a source of revenue for the agency.
“The scheme has been successful as we have dry and rainy season farmers who need organic fertilisers,’’ he said.
Charanchi said that hundreds of tons of wastes had become a blessing to the agency as it makes money out of garbage.
“We have turned the waste into wealth through a recycling method. We are calling on our local farmers to come forward and access our organic manure.’’ (NAN)