The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has adopted measures towards curbing smuggling of subsidized fertilizer under government’s Planting for Food and Jobs programme.
This year, all bags under the programme will be labeled to differentiate them from other fertilizers on the market. Upper East Regional Director for the Department of Food and Agriculture, Francis Ennor who revealed this indicated that, this approach is one of the measures put in place to curb smuggling of subsidized fertilizers.
He also announced that only Nation Builders Corp personnel will be assigned to distribute the subsidized fertilizers to farmers from retailers and input dealers to ensure easy and effective monitoring.
The 2018 farming season recorded late distribution of the fertilizer to farmers which some farmers claim affected their cultivation.
In 2019 the Ministry of Food and Agriculture aims at starting an early distribution of inputs across the region.
The Regional Agriculture Director Francis Ennor hinted that some input dealers have already received fertilizers and distribution is expected to start soon.
This year, the Upper East Region has recorded two heavy down pours earlier than expected and that might have prompted the need for the early distribution of the Agri-input to registered farmers in the region.
Source: A1radioonline.com | Joshua Asaah | Ghana
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