Kabir Ibrahim, President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, has highlighted the escalating cost of fertilizers as a major challenge for Nigerian farmers. Ibrahim noted that farmers are struggling to afford fertilizers due to the high prices, a situation he attributes to the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Nigerian naira.
In an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday, Ibrahim reflected on the benefits of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He explained that from 2017 to 2020, this initiative significantly reduced fertilizer costs for farmers.
“I think during the Buhari days, the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) was formed as a means to make fertilizer available,” Ibrahim said. “Between 2017 and 2020, we received fertilizer like Coca-Cola. It was all over the place. The price was good. It was initially ₦5,500. After the pandemic, a further subsidy of ₦500 was given, and we were buying it at ₦5,000.”
However, Ibrahim lamented that since 2021, the cost of fertilizer has become prohibitive for many farmers. He attributed the price surge to the depreciation of the naira and the reliance on imported components for fertilizer production.
“The value of our currency went down and most of these things are imported, the components that they mentioned,” Ibrahim explained. “We had a pact with Morocco, which provided us fertilizers at a very reasonable price with discounts. After the government appealed to them, we began importing from other sources at prevailing market rates. Consequently, blenders had to cover the additional costs, worsening the situation from 2021 to date.”
Ibrahim also noted that flooding has exacerbated the difficulties faced by farmers, as it washes away the limited fertilizer they can afford. He urged the federal government to reinstate the fertilizer subsidy to make it more affordable, similar to the situation from 2017 to 2020.
“There are also effects of climate change and flooding, which wash away the little fertilizer we manage to apply,” Ibrahim said.
“We have requested the restoration of the subsidy we enjoyed between 2017 and 2020. The fertilizer should be as accessible and affordable as Coca-Cola across Nigeria.”
Ibrahim concluded by emphasizing that reduced fertilizer costs would help alleviate consumer complaints about food prices, as farmers are currently burdened by high costs for inputs like insecticides, herbicides, and labor.
