Niger State Government has constituted a task force against the sale and use of fake and adulterated agro-chemicals and other farm inputs in the state.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Yusuf Mohammed Gunu, said the task force was necessitated due to the rising cases of sale and use of adulterated Agro-Chemicals and other farm inputs that have hindered agricultural activities in the state over the years.
He lamented that the state had become a dumping ground of fake, expired and adulterated Agrichemical inputs in recent time, especially insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers that could cause havoc to the soil, farmers and consumers.
“Adulterated Agro-Chemicals also have implications on the farmers and consumers. But with this step, farmers and consumers would be protected. Recent development had called for control of marketing and use of fake and adulterated agro-chemicals. We need to bring sanity to the sales and use of fake and adulterated agro-chemicals in the state so that farmers can get value for their money and protect them from hazards of these fake chemicals. Defaulters would be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
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The Ñiger State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Shehu Yusuf Galadima, said farmers in the state have suffered from fake and Adulterated Agro-Chemicals and other agricultural inputs for over a decade.
“As a matter of fact, this task force is a welcome development to the farmers across the state. It’s part of the problems we have been facing for over a decade. Our farmers don’t get the right and correct agro inputs. We have had a lot of experiences. We have been buying inputs that are not worth it and at the end of the day, farmers record low yield and we won’t even talk of making marginal profit.
