Subsidy on Fertiliser Still in Place, Says FG

Crusoe Osagie

The federal government has said the present administration is sustaining the subsidy on the fertiliser to boost farming operation in the country.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, made the announcement during an interactive meeting with journalists.

Ogbeh gave the assurance that the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) of the ministry was still active but would only be modified to optimally cater for the needs of Nigerian farmers. He reaffirmed that this administration would not engage in any policy somersault.

The Minister said: “Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) is alive, we are modifying it and we are not engaging in any policy somersault, we are going to widen it. We did not remove subsidy, if we stop subsidy, it will affect agricultural productivity.”

He noted the present administration would rather subsidise agricultural inputs than oil; adding that the ministry had developed a soil nutrients map that indicates the type of fertiliser that will be suitable for specific soil requirement and urged farmers in the states to adopt the technique.