NAN-H-6
Agriculture
By Lizzy Okoji
Abuja, Jan. 27, 2017 (NAN) Mr Emeka Vitus, the Chairman of V-Kings Agro Organic Fertilizer, has urged the government to encourage the use of organic fertilizers, stressing that bio produce will help boost the nation’s economy.
Vitus made the call at the launch of its Greenfert Organic Fertilizer on Friday in Abuja.
According to him, exporting bio produce will further boost the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as there is a high demand for bio produce than chemically and inorganically-produced foods.
He said Greenfert was coming into the Nigerian market at the right time and in line with the President’s agenda to diversify the economy through agriculture.
Vitus said going organic would allow Nigerian produce to be accepted into the international market, having been previously banned by the European Union.
He explained that Nigerian produce were banned from entering into the European market for not conforming with international nutritional standards.
“Across the world, there is a high demand for bio food produce than chemical and it is important for us Nigerians to key into organic fertilization because the benefits are enormous.
“It would not only allow us eat food that is rich in nutrient but also revitilize our soil which has been damaged over time due to soil leaching and other human activities.’’
Vitus said that his company had mapped out strategic partnership with its counterpart in the Netherlands to start local production of the Greenfert Organic fertilizer in Nigeria.
He said V-Kings would partner with the Federal Government to ensure that the organic fertilizer was subsidized to enable subsistent farmers to benefit.
In a remark, Mr Jos Roodhuizen, the Chief Executive Officer, Greenfert groups, the Netherlands, said that the company’s partnership with a Nigerian company was timely, especially at a time when the nation was diversifying from oil to agriculture.
He urged the relevant governmental sectors and stakeholders to create awareness on the importance and health benefits of using organic fertilizers to grow their crops.
Roodhuizen said eating of bio foods and fruits would also help increase the life expectancy of Nigerians and make them healthier.
He said soil samples from across Nigeria had been analysed in Holland and confirmed to be compatible with Greenfert organic fertilizer.
Also speaking, Mr Yakubu Umar of the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Programme (KADP), encouraged local farmers on indigenous organic fertilizer production as most plants used as composite for organic fertilizers had reasonable Nitrogen content.
He urged farmers to return to using organic fertilizers, as the inorganic variety was harmful to the soil.
“Organic fertilizer has been here for a long time but now; it has now been better improved and science has also made it easy to be used.
“Any product coming into the country is always subjected to research, which we have done on the Greenfert organic fertilizer and is still ongoing.
“After conducting a research, we screen the product, subject it to a few trials which include on-station trials and farm adapting research trials for confirmation of what the company is claiming.
“It is after this process is certified before we allow it to go to farmers,’’ Umar said.
Umar said that organic fertilizer, if widely accepted by farmers, would be more beneficial for agricultural production in Nigeria. (NAN)
LIZ/NKO
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Edited by Nkechi Okoronkwo
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