FG Flags-off Distribution Of 10m Bags Of Fertilizer
The Federal Government has flagged-off the distribution of more than 10 million bags of fertilizer and announced a Guaranteed Price Model for 2 million smallholder farmers nationwide.
Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security announced this on Friday at the flag-off of fertilizer distribution in Zaria, Kaduna State.
He explained that the inputs are being delivered under the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund (RH-SVCF)
The Minister stated that the biggest shift is not the volume of inputs, but the structure of delivery.
“From now on, there is an institution beside you when you plant, and an institution beside you when you sell,” Kyari told farmers gathered for the flag-off.
“For generations, farmers carried every risk alone. They borrowed to plant. They prayed for rain. And at harvest, they met a buyer who knew they were desperate. What changes today?”
Kyari, who noted that one third of the beneficiaries are women, highlighted that under the new design, every farmer will be linked to a Farmer Aggregation Company, with Arzikin Noma, a Farmer Aggregation Company, leading the flag-off in Zaria.
He stressed that timing is critical. “Fertilizer in August is a different commodity from fertilizer in July.”
He said inputs were delivered in mid-July, right as the rains set in, to ensure that farmers do not plant late.
According to him, “beyond delivery, the aggregator will stay with the farmer through the entire cycle.
“This means providing certified seed, fertilizer, and extension support from land preparation to harvest.
At the end of the season, the same aggregator becomes the pathway to market, buying at a Guaranteed Minimum Price approved by the government.
“That price, the Minister said, is a floor “below which the farmer’s sweat cannot be bought.”
He explained that the model aligns with the interest of the farmer and the company.
“The farmer’s success and the company’s success become the same thing.”
He added that with Arzikin Noma’s investment in local processing, “what our farmers grow will become food and feed here at home,” deepening the value chain and food security.
Kyari also tied the new programme to the history of the host city.
