Farmers in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have now resorted to poultry droppings and cow dung to replenish the fertility of their farms due to the high cost of fertilizer.
Speaking separately to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja, the farmers warned that the sharp increase in industrial fertilizer and agro-chemical prices threatens food production, especially for smallholder farmers in rural communities.
Mr. Phillip Akuso, a farmer from Baran-goni community, said the price of Golden Urea and NPK, which sold for between N35,000 and N37,000 in 2024, now goes for N47,000 per bag.
“You can only get NPK 20.10.10 for N25,000; other higher grades are N47,000 and above,” he said, adding that the cost of pesticides and herbicides has also risen steeply.
Similarly, Mr. Bawah Malik of Sabon-Gari community said farmers who cannot afford industrial fertilizers are increasingly booking poultry manure in advance, paying between N5,000 and N6,000 per bag.
“If a farmland requires up to 20 bags of industrial fertilizer and you cannot afford it, you may have no option but to use organic manure on some portions,” Malik said.
Agriculturalist Mr. Tanimu Ibrahim noted that organic manure improves soil structure, increases water retention and long-term fertility, while industrial fertilizers provide quick nutrients but can degrade soil quality with heavy use.
The farmers appealed to government to provide subsidized inputs or soft loans to reduce production costs and protect food security.
NAN
