Report: Fertilizer Consumption Soared by 63% in 2017

The International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) has revealed that fertilizer uptake by Nigerian farmers increased by 63 per cent in 2017, rising from 959,364 metric tonnes in 2016 to 1,564,816 metric tonnes last year.

According to a report released by the IFDC in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and other international agencies, they also predicted an exponential increase in fertilizer consumption in 2018 by Nigerian farmers as a result of what they described as the remarkable improvement in the local blending of the agricultural input under the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative of the Federal Government.

In contrast, Ghana, Nigeria’s English-speaking West African neighbour recorded an 82 per cent increase in fertilizer consumption. Although, unlike Nigeria that has totally eliminated subsidy from the system, Ghana’s increased statistics was driven by a spike in government subsidy programmes, the report stated.

The report, which also noted the increase in the exportation of Urea by Nigeria said exports in this area increased from 329,630 metric tonnes in 2016 to 659,603mt in 2017, with over 50 per cent of the exports going to Brazil.

The document also highlighted some of the achievements being recorded in agriculture through the PFI programme and hinged the fertilizer growth enablers on the revival of blending plants with the active support of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other agencies of the Nigerian government.

It also quoted a member of the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Gideon Negedu, as saying the industry in Nigeria targets to produce more than one million metric tonnes of blended NPK fertilizer in 2018, adding that with increases in crop yield in mind, players have agreed to the introduction of more critical micro nutrients in fertilizer blending for the 2018