Our products are in high demand – MD, Greenwell Technologies

Against the backdrop of current efforts by the Federal Government to revitalize agriculture, a fertilizer blending plant in Akwa, Greenwell Technologies is counting its gains selling the product in states across the country. Johnny Udoh, managing director of the company said the company’s products are now in high demand across the country.

He said Greenwell Technologies, which is located at Abak, few kilometres from Uyo, the state capital, has sold out most of its products. “Most of our products have been sold out. Last month we shipped 4,000 metric tons to Nassarawa

State and some other states. We still have about 59 trucks that will go to Rivers State whenever they are ready to pick,” Udoh stated in an interview with our correspondent.

The Greenwell Technologies managing director said the company has been making profit following high demands/ patronage of its product by many states across the country; adding that the company has also started blending fertilizer for coconut farms.

He explained that Federal Government subsidizes 50 percent of the cost of the fertilizer as a way of assisting farmers. “The actual manufacturing price is N11,000 per bag, but the Federal Government pays 50 percent of the price, then the farmers pay 50 percent of the price. In some states, the state government gives to farmers free,” he said.

“You can buy this product at N6,000, or N7,000 in the market because the raw materials are very expensive. We don’t sell less than one truck load to the agro dealers. Right now, we are selling to individuals, but by next year we will not. If someone wants to buy one bag, we will sell, but from next year we are not going to do that again,” Udoh said.

He said the demand for fertilizer is high in the country. “Right now, we have about 1000 metric tons remaining in our warehouse; and the Federal Government has paid for them all. But we are also producing for private entities. We are also shipping to coconut farmers right now; we are blending fertilizers for them.”

He said when they started the fertilizer blending plant, most of their customers were from the north, but they have started having customers from Akwa Ibom, Abia, Imo, among others. “We are the only fertilizer blender in the SouthSouth of the country,” he explained.

Udoh however lamented the high cost of running the factory on diesel engine generators; saying the company spends N1.4 million monthly on diesel. He explained that all efforts he had made to ensure regular power supply to the plant with assurance from a power distribution company has not yielded any dividend. He called on the Federal Government to critically address the issue of power supply in the country.

“I spend about N1.4 million a month on diesel. If I am lucky, I might have light for only two minutes or five minutes for whole week. So, we depend solely on diesel. We have a 500 KVA generator. If we don’t have power, we cannot operate these machines,” he said.

He said when he first decided to do the business, his first concern was commitment. “We turnout about 300 metric tons a day, sometimes 200 metric tons depending on the need and availability of raw materials. Two of our raw materials are imported, and the rest are purchased locally,” he said.