By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Following the many effects of the Russian-Ukraine war on some sectors of the global economy, some experts fear that fertiliser Production will also be affected.
Russia is a major supplier of nitrogen globally and Ukraine is also a key global supplier of nitrogen, while Belarus, which also faces sanctions over its role in the war, is also a huge supplier of other ingredients like potash for blending fertiliser.
In an interview with Daily Trust, Architect Kabiru Ibrahim, president of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) said that “we are likely to see a rise in the global prices of fertiliser and wheat due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine but we should not panic as there are alternatives.”
Also, the Executive Secretary, Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Mr Gideon Negedu, explained what the producers have in place at the moment and going forward to deal with this sort of situation.
He said the prices of fertilisers internationally have tripled even before the Ukraine/Russian war because of the COVID pandemic. But while the market was beginning to recover in February, the Russian-Ukrainian war caused a lot of tension in the market in getting access to potash.
The association’s executive secretary said what the country takes from Russia under the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative is potash, but added that the percentage requirement of potash in fertiliser is usually just about 16%.
He however said measures have been put in place to ensure that the country has access to some potassium.
