The Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Mr. Caesar Kale has expressed worry about the mode of fertilizer distribution in the region.

He said it was evident that fertilizer coupons were not getting to farmers as many coupons were in the hands of middlemen who were issuing them to farmers for a fee.

Mr. Kale made this known at the ordinary meeting of the Sissala West District Assembly at Gwollu.

He said that criminal behaviour annulled government’s effort in the provision of subsidy to farmers.

He said out of about 12,000 coupons of 15-15 compound fertilizer issued; only about 1,200 had been utilized.

Mr. Kale urged district chief executives in the region to strictly supervise the distribution of fertilizer coupons to farmers.

He tasked the security agencies, assembly members and all other stakeholders in agricultural sector to be on the alert to help apprehend all those involved in “this unpatriotic acts for prosecution”.

“Henceforth any fertilizer coupon issued in the region should be given an expiry date of seven days from the date of issue after which it becomes invalid,” Mr. Kale warned.

He said there would be no justification on the part of any chief executive or for any other body to ask for more fertilizer coupons when those issued had not been used for the intended purpose.
 
“We must guard against any group whose activities can cause artificial shortages of fertilizer in the market through illegal export of the commodity to Burkina Faso”, Mr. Kale advised.

Mr. Kale warned people engaged in fuel smuggling in the district to desist from the practice and appealed to assembly members to come out with punitive measures to discourage people from indulging in such acts.

He urged people in the district to be more concerned with issues of poverty, illiteracy and environmental degradation which were affecting their overall development.    

On revenue generation, Mr. Kale advised the assembly members to improve the data of revenue mobilisation in the district and strengthen monitoring mechanisms to forestall revenue leakages.

GNA
Anita Annoh