Gombe bemoans NSA approval to get urea for fertilizer production
Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Gombe State Government has bemoaned the delay to get approval from National Security Adviser Office for Urea, a major raw material for the production of fertilizer.
Briefing journalists on Wednesday, shortly after State Council Meeting, presided over by the governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Muhammad Gettado said the state was peaceful, than other states who got expedited approval to procure urea.
He noted that the fertilizer issue was not amongst issues deliberated by the council but of imperative, so the need to revealed that the state has sufficient limestone estimated at over 1,000 trucks, potassium chloride (MOP), Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), for the production of fertilizer.
Gettado added that in a matter of days, farmers preferred fertilizer would be made available to makeup for the delay.
He said, “We have sufficient Limestone over 1,000 trucks the potassium chloride (MOP), Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), remaining only urea for them to start blending NPK 20:10:10 for our farmers.
“These has been there since the last week of April to first week of May as we were waiting the National Security Adviser refused to give them approval to bring urea. Urea is one of the compliment used to produce NPK both 20:10:10 and 27:13:13. Unfortunately, we have been following up to the office of the NSA both the company and ourself, for your information our governor went to the NSA more than 3 times and he saw the chief of staff too.
“Finally, they agreed and gave permit to the blender to start bringing urea from Indorama and Notore in Port Harcourt, but don’t forget the Urea is not the type of urea we put on our farms.
“It is the urea for blending only very explosive, so the security agencies are very mindful of the problem of North East but we have been complaining but to both honourable minister, NSA, chief of Army staff.
“If you can allow urea to go to Taraba, Bauchi then there is urea for urea in Gombe. We know Gombe is more peaceful than Taraba and Bauchi, they have given approval to us now to start blending but it is taking time and unfortunately we promised to flag off fertilizer sales in first week of June but we could not do that which is not the making of government.”
Gettado added that “The state, blenders have resolved to blend 15:15, initially the blending plant was calibrated 20:10:10 NPK due to the fact that Urea is yet to be here in Gombe they will start blending tomorrow or next that is 15:15 NPK.
“The only difference is that the 15:15 NPK very expensive everyone knows which is 18,000-20,000 but we have no option than to go for it but our farmers like it.”
