PFJ fertilizer importer calls for increased allocation

Alaska B. Kantong, one of the 37 government approved fertilizer importers under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme, has called for increased allocation of the product to enable him sufficiently serve the farmers.

Mr Kantong, who is the only approved importer in the whole of Upper West and Upper East regions, said the 2,000 tons allocation this year did a lot of good to the farmers in the area but was not sufficient to adequately serve all the farmers.

Mr Kantong, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Tumu in the Sissala East Municipality of the Upper West Region, said with his over 21-year experience in the fertilizer business, he was sure that about 20,000 tones would be sufficient to adequately serve the numerous farmers.

He, therefore, appealed to the Crops Director and the Minister of Food and Agriculture to consider his appeal by increasing his allocation to the 20,000 tones to enable him fully serve farmers in the area who are known for their high maize crop production.

The Chief Executive Officer of Alaska B. Kantong Company Limited also lauded the Ministry for not only selecting the importers but also customising the PFJ fertilizer in the name of the various companies.

This, he said, would help farmers know exactly where to look for the product as well as check the widespread smuggling issues, hinting that as an importer he would prioritize due diligence in order to ensure that the fertilizer was issued to only the real farmers.

Mr Kanton appealed to the farmers to help him fight the smugglers by being vigilant and reporting any suspicious moves by any individual to the security agencies for the necessary action.