FEPSAN President says the new agreement will enable Nigerian blenders of NPK fertilizer to have access to improved supply of di-ammonium sulphate chemicals.
In line with the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to make Nigeria self-sufficient in food production, the Fertilizer Producers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) has signed a second phase of agreement with Morocco’s state-owned phosphate and fertilizer group, OCP, to sustain the enhanced gains in agricultural productivity that started in 2016.
The current agreement, which takes the earlier one signed in December 2016 a step higher, will deepen the cooperation by the two organizations in technical support for blending operations as well as agronomic assistance for enhanced fertilizer application and agricultural productivity.
A statement signed by FEPSAN President, Thomas Etuh, said the new agreement is aiming to enhance the existing arrangement that has enabled Nigerian farmers to access high-quality fertilizer at affordable prices.
It will also help to improve the agriculture industry by increasing the volume of raw materials supplied to Nigerian blenders under the aegis of FEPSAN, Mr Etuh said.
This new agreement, the statement said, will also include the provision of technical support by the OCP to the Nigerian fertilizer producers, especially given the expected increased appetite of the market for locally blended NPK fertilizers.
Unlike the initial agreement signed in 2016 and structured for a three-year life span, the new agreement shall be on a continuous basis.
It will be recalled that the first phase of the agreement was signed during the visit to Nigeria, of King Mohammed VI, and was pivotal to the start of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) that started with eight blending plants in 2016 but has increased the number to 42 accredited plants in different parts of the country.
The first phase of the agreement also helped to strengthen the private sector to stand on its own during the initial three-year period and will now give way to a new private sector-led initiative, according to a new directive by President Muhammadu Buhari.
While speaking on the terms of the agreement, Mr Etuh commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his initiative to revive hitherto moribund fertilizer blending plants in Nigeria for the benefit of Nigerian farmers and the national economy as a whole.
