Farmers were promised that fertiliser would be sold at 1100 Dalasis per bag. Now they are paying from 1150 to1200 Dalasis per bag. Government is saying that it intends to rejuvenate the cooperative system. The old cooperative system was based on the Cooperative Producer and Marketing societies and their seccos. They collapsed because of political interference.
The Seccos are supposed to make the subsidy to production input impactful on the lives of the farmers. However, if subsidies come from government coffers while the production inputs fall in the hands of middle persons, the farmers would not benefit from the subsidies. This is the current situation affecting fertiliser sales.
If the government had intention for the seccos to function, it would have developed a scheme to recapitalise all seccos before the farming season to enable them to sell fertiliser and earn income to purchase nuts. The funds from government subsidy will remain in agricultural production and marketing chain. Neither the public purse nor the farmers are benefiting. Only a few middle persons would benefit if the current method of distributing fertiliser continues. Foroyaa calls on the Minister of agriculture to consider what he will tell the National Assembly if he were to be requested to explain how private persons are recruited to be sales agents for fertilizer, how much they have spent and how the subsidy on fertilizer had benefitted the farmers. What would he say if he is asked to explain why they have not organised villages to put money together and send envoys to purchase fertilizer for the whole village at subsidized prices even if the seccos are dysfunctional? Subsidies are meant to reduce the burden of the many through reduction of prices not to enrich a few at the expense of the many. Foroyaa will do more investigation on this matter.
