Fertilizer smuggling in Upper East is worrying – DCE

Zubieru Abduliah, the District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Pusiga District, has expressed concern at the increasing rate of fertilizer smuggling and urged dealers of the commodity and farmers to help fight it.
He called on the fertilizer companies to deal directly with the district assemblies to enable them track dealers who buy the commodity in the name of the assemblies.
Mr Abduliah said the subsidized fertilizer is to help farmers to increase production hence the stated price.
He was speaking at a forum organized on Wednesday to sensitize farmers and dealers in fertilizer on the need to prevent and protect the fertilizer from being smuggled out of the country.
The Pusiga District shares borders with Togo and Burkina Faso where fertilizer is more expensive than the subsidized one in the district so some people, under the pretext of acquiring it to use on their farms then smuggle it out for profit.
Mr Abduliah also called on all patriotic citizens to monitor the movement of all who buy fertilizer and ensure that none is taken out of the district.
Mr Gerald Morgan, the Pusiga District Director of Agriculture, said farming is the main source of livelihood in the area and fertilizer would not only increase production but keep both dealers and farmers in good business.
He urged the farmers to see the commodity as their own and protect it from smugglers as they would be the main people to suffer when there is a shortage of the commodity.
Mr Morgan called on them to register with the District Agriculture Department so that they can benefit from the one village one dam project which is yet to commence.