By Marie-Therese Nanlong, Jos

The efforts to increase the production and distribution of quality fertilizer in the country has received a boost with the commissioning of the Plateau Duncan Fertilizer Blending Plant at Heipang, Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau State.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari and the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang who commissioned the project on Wednesday insisted that activities carried out in the facility will guarantee food security and provide jobs for Nigerians.

Kyari, represented by Waziri Abba, a Director in his Ministry said, it was very timely having the facility in use at the time President Bola Tinubu declared an emergency on food security.

According to him, “I feel delighted to commission this laudable facility which is built to deliver quality fertilizers to Nigerian farmers for increased food production. This is happening at the time Mr. President declared emergency on food security. There is a subsisting ban on importation of fertilizers which is a deliberate policy aimed at stimulating local production of fertilizers through establishment of local NPK Blending Plants to supply the much-needed NPK fertilizers to our farmers.

“During the era of fertilizer importation, there was heavy application of NPK 15-15-15 by farmers. This had both economic and technical implication for the agricultural space. Farmers were made to pay for nutrients which are not consumed by their crops while the soil was fed with high levels of Phosphorus (p) and Potassium (k) which are not utilized.

“Given the current global cost of fertilizers, we cannot afford to be wasting nutrients but to provide crops with the right types of nutrients in right doses for optimal crop production. This is the gap being filled by the local blending plants as it is now possible to produce any type of NPK formulations with macro and micro-nutrients added to address the varying nutrients needs of crops…

“Let me also use this opportunity to assure investors in the fertilizer space that government will continue to do whatever is necessary to support the growth of the fertilizer industry by protecting the private sector investments in the industry… I urge all operators in the fertilizer industry to uphold high level of business integrity and avoid indulging in any act that may be seen as violation of the fertilizer law.”

Also, Governor Mutfwang represented by the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Samson Bugamma congratulated the Plateau Duncan Fertilizer company a subsidiary of the Duncan group for “the huge investment in the fertilizer space and promised to support the company to remain in business.”

He said, “Plateau is the food haven of Nigeria, Plateau has every endowment by God to feed Nigeria and the sub-region. But it has been bedeviled by so many things, and that is why this administration has titled our intervention in Plateau State as a New Beginning. And it is our desire that we begin a new thing of bringing Plateau into the food haven that it’s supposed to be for Nigeria. And that is why we have the mantra of the time is now and the land is green.

“This administration came on the strength of agriculture and that we are going to actualise and that is why this commissioning today means very much to us. I’d like to use this opportunity to thank the Chairman of Duncan Fertiliser for this wonderful thing. The state-of-the-art equipments that have been placed inside this place to serve the farmers on the Plateau and in Nigeria. And for that we are very grateful.

“For the past months I have travelled around Nigeria and outside Nigeria, trying to see how we can bring investors into this State. It has been a tough one because everywhere you go you will hear people talk about insecurity. Oh, there’s no security on the Plateau and for that reason many of them can easily jettison the plan to come in and invest here.

“But for a man to put this kind of investment here, I tell you that this is a man who believes in the Plateau dream. And for that, I want to assure you that the State Government will do everything that is within its power to see that these plants continue to serve the farmers of Plateau State and beyond.”

However, Ishaku Jilemsam of the Plateau Agricultural Development Programme added that “The 700,000 farm families in the State will be served as Duncan Fertilizer Company will adequately meet the needs of Plateau farmers, those of the neighbouring States and Nigeria at large.”

Earlier, Chairman of the company, Dr. Godfrey Shitgurum said the rationale of having the plant is to empower citizens and farmers by making available their vital needs to increase yield.

Among dignitaries that graced the event were a former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, former Minister of Niger Delta, Usani Usani, former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Pauline Tallen, State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Sule Haruna, an elder statesman, Amb. Yahaya Kwande, among others.