Peasant farmers blame fertilizer smuggling on distribution system

Peasant Farmers are blaming the high-incidence of smuggling of subsidized fertilizer on mode of distribution adopted by government this year.

It follows several reports some security personnel in the North are allegedly conniving with some unscrupulous persons to smuggle the subsidized fertilizer to neighbouring countries.

Agric Minister, Kwesi Ahwoi has warned government may be compelled to scrap subsidies on fertilizers if farmers do not take full responsibility for management of the fertilizer subsidy programme.

But the Programmes Officer of the Peasant Farmers Association, Charles Nyaaba explains to JOY BUSINESS, the certain initiatives introduced this year in the distribution of the subsidized fertilizer is rather to blame.

“It's not farmers who are doing the distribution. You have businessmen who supply fertilizers to agents who are also businessmen in a particular district. And now they are not ready to sell the fertilizer to the farmers because they want to sell it at the market price to make more profit” he explained.

“Also is the introduction of what is termed farmers passbook. The farmers complain that when they go to the ferstilizers they tell them they don't deal with the passbook and so that they sell at the market price for more profit” he added.

Story by Emmanuel Agyei / Joy Business / Ghana