The Niger State Government has disclosed that its new policy on agriculture will crack down on sellers of adulterated fertilisers to ensure that farmers have access to high-quality products that meet safety standards.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Dr Mathew Ahmed stated this at an event organised in collaboration with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, AGRA, to review the state’s policy on agriculture with stakeholders from various sectors, including government ministries, academia, and farmers’ organisations in Minna.

Dr Ahmed explained that the move is aimed at protecting farmers from exploitation and boosting agricultural productivity in the state.

According to him, “Many farmers don’t know where to go to get good fertiliser, but under this new policy, we are going to take serious measures to ensure that we help our farmers.

“We are going to take the fertilisers from the sellers and analyse the samples to test the efficacy of the fertiliser and safety standards. This is because our farmers spend a lot and at the end of the day don’t get value from their farms.

These are part of the things we are going to do differently. We are going to propose it to the state government.”

Earlier, the Niger State Commissioner of Agriculture, Hon. Musa Salihu Bawa Bosso, stated that the state agriculture policy currently under review was developed in 2020 and expired in 2024, hence the decision for stakeholder engagement to review it with new ideas and innovation.

He explained that the new policy would be developed to align with the current agricultural agenda of the Niger State Government, which will centre on developing an agricultural investment plan and a state agriculture gender policy from 2025 to 2030.

According to him, “The new policy will also drive the economy through mechanised agriculture. The farmers will feel its impact, because it is going to be a total package that will suit the vision of the state government, going by the huge investment made by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago in the agric sector. This will make the state a powerhouse of agriculture in the country.”

Also, the programme manager of AGRA, Mr Godswill Aguyi, stated that the organisation is supporting smallholder farmers in the state, particularly in the rice and soybean value chains.

He disclosed that AGRA is also assisting the state in developing policies, investment plans, and flagship documents to improve the agriculture sector.