Fertilizer subsidy programme still on - Fiifi Kwetey

Mr Fiifi Kwetey, the Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has assured farmers that government’s fertilizer subsidy programme was still on course.

Mr Kwetey said even though the programme experienced some few hitches this year, it was still on course and farmers would soon receive the fertilizers.

The National Fertilizer Subsidy Programme is a policy intervention introduced by government to enhance food production and food security in the country.

He gave the assurance on Thursday, when he paid a working visit to Chemico Limited, one of the companies awarded a contract to produce and distribute fertilizers to farmers.

He said it was the hope of his Ministry that the programme would take off earlier in 2016 than it happened this year, even as government was addressing the country’s economic challenges.

The Minister explained that his outfit has no direct control over the distribution of the fertilizer to the farmers as being speculated in the media.

He said the selected companies import and work on the fertilizers, after which they distribute it to the farmers through their licensed distribution outlets in the regions at a subsidized price lower than the actual market price.

Mr Kwetey said MOFA only ensures that documentations on the fertilizers given to the farmers were accurate and payments issued to the companies.

He commended Chemico for supporting the agriculture sector and encouraged it to continue employing the youth as the agriculture sector expands.

Mr Kwadwo Kanabiri Donkoh, the Chief Executive Officer of Chemico Limited, said the company, which was established in the year 1976, is a one stop place for the production of agricultural implements.

Mr Donkoh said the company has a special focus on different types of pesticides and blends of fertilizers for cocoa and cash crops, including maize, rice, pineapple and palm oil.

He said his outfit believes in the green revolution and is determine to invest in the production of fertilizer under the subsidy programme.

He also assured that there was enough stock of fertilizer in the company’s warehouse at Kumasi to be distributed to farmers.