Some farmers in Gombe State have decried the delay in the distribution of subsidised fertilisers, 22 days after the commodity was flagged off for sale by Governor Inuwa Yahaya.

Mr Yahaya, on June 26, launched the sales of subsidised fertilisers for the 2025 wet farming season.

At the flag-off, the governor stated that the state government had procured 10,000 tonnes, equivalent to 200,000 bags of NPK 20:10:10 fertiliser, announcing that they would be sold to farmers at a subsidised rate of N27,000 per bag.

Speaking to journalists in Gombe on Saturday, farmers from Akko, Yamaltu Deba, Billiri, Nafada, Funakaye, and Kwami Local Government Areas said they were yet to access the commodity.

Abdullahi Sunusi, a farmer from Auwaru in Akko LGA, said he was forced to abandon the cultivation of fertiliser-dependent crops, such as maize and rice, because he could not access the government’s fertilisers.

Mr Sunusi said, “It is frustrating that as of July, farmers are yet to get any support from the state government, in spite of the commodity being flagged off by Governor Yahaya, three weeks ago.”

Zakari Hinna, the head of farmers in the Hinna community in Yamaltu/Deba LGA, said farmers in his community had yet to access the commodity for purchase.

Mr Hinna urged the relevant authorities to expedite actions towards distributing the commodity, so that farmers could get the support.

Abubakar Babayo, the head of farmers in the Difa community in Yamaltu Deba LGA, said over 50 per cent of farmers had abandoned the cultivation of rice and maize due to the high cost of fertilisers.

“Since we have not received fertilisers in spite of the flag off three weeks back, coupled with the impact of climate change, many have abandoned rice and maize because they can not afford fertilisers,” he revealed.

Maria Joshua, a farmer from Popandi Tal, in Billiri LGA, said that with the inconsistency in the rainfall pattern, any delay in fertiliser distribution would result in losses for farmers.

Ms Joshua said the late distribution of fertilisers would affect farmers who cultivated crops that required fertilisers and depended on the government’s fertilisers for their farm needs.

She appealed to the Gombe State government to address the delay, stressing that the cost of fertilisers was now above what most rural farmers could afford.

Others who spoke to journalists expressed similar concerns, lamenting that the delay would affect harvest in this year’s wet farming season.

Reacting to the complaints, Barnabas Malle, the Gombe State Commissioner of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperative Society, urged farmers to be patient, noting that the delay was being addressed as directed by the governor.

Mr Malle attributed the delay to transportation issues in view of the large quantity of the commodity procured this year.

He said the process of removing the fertilisers from the store was slow, but noted that the issues were being addressed so that farmers could access the commodity for use.

“Each LGA will get between 22 and 25 trucks, but as of Thursday, some had gotten two to four trucks; so the process of taking it out is a bit slow,” he said.

(NAN)