The Federal Government, on Saturday, announced that it had clamped down on adulterated fertiliser producers in Kano State.
It said this was in line with its commitment to ensure quality production of fertilisers and farm inputs geared towards achieving food and nutrition security.
A team from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development led by the Director, Farm Input Support Services Department, Kwaido Sanni, along with members of the police and Department of State Services, embarked on the sealing of these illegal outfits in Kano.
The ministry said the two-day exercise took place in various local government areas of Kano, as it was in fulfillment of the National Fertilizer Quality Control Regulations of 2020.
The FMARD, in a statement issued in Abuja, said Section 43, Subsection 1 of the constitution, empowered the FISSD to carry out stop sale order on companies involved in adulteration and sharp practices in the fertiliser subsector.
Sanni stated that the National Fertiliser Quality Control Act 2019 and Regulations 2020 would ensure that any individual doing the business must register with the Farm Inputs Support Department of the ministry and must also possess the requisite facilities to operate in the sector.
He said most of the fertiliser companies did not want to carry out the process because they knew that they were not qualified to do so.
This, he said, was the reason behind the clamp-down on these companies, as Sanni warned those engaged in the illegal business to stop or face the wrath of the law.
The Fertilizer Quality Control Officer, Sunday Oke, during the inspection, observed the prevalence of adulterated/fake fertiliser in the state and pointed out that samples of the fertiliser would be collected and taken to Abuja for laboratory analysis to confirm compliance with the guaranteed analysis.
He was quoted as saying, “If any individual wants to do business in the fertiliser sector, that individual must be registered under FISSD.
“It is in that light that the department constituted the joint task force team to go out and look at various fertiliser producers’ shops to find out if they are producing fake/ adulterated fertilisers.”
