Nigerian farmers have every reason to be optimistic of a bumper harvest in the new planting season with the launch of a crop balance nutrient fertiliser brand, Geo Fertiliser.
The product comes in two variants – the Geo Plus (NPK 24-10-10+ trace elements) and Geo Green Urea(Urea 46-0-0+ trace elements).
In addition to the basic elements (NPK and Urea) contained in the fertiliser, Geo Fertiliser contains micronutrients of iron, zinc, copper , magnesium and nickel, which are known as trace elements, provide balance nutrients for the crops.
The Chief Marketing Manager of Buma Resources Nigeria Limited, Mr Bello Zubairu, who spoke on Tuesday in Kano at the product launch, said it had been established that Geo Fertiliser contains micronutrients that makes it superior to the ordinary fertiliser being used by farmers.
This attestation, he explained, followed several field trials and laboratory analyses by reputable agricultural establishments, research institutes and universities such as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the Department of Soil Science of Niger State Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Authority; the Department of Agronomy/Soil Science of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; and and Cross River State University of Technology, Calabar, among others.
According to Zubairu, one 50g sachet of Geo Fertiliser increases crop yield by 150 per cent in comparison to 50kg of conventional fertiliser. He said that five 50g sachet of Geo Fertiliser is applied per hectare, as against nine bags of 50kg of the traditional fertilizer.
Besides, being in sachets of 50g, he added that that makes it portable and easy to move to the farm, unlike the 50kg bag of the conventional fertiliser. Zubairu also said that the product is the cheapest fertiliser of its kind in Nigeria.
In further explaining the benefits of Geo Fertiliser, Zubairu said rain and flood do not pose risks of soil leaching or the fertiliser being washed away from the soil because it is applied directly on the leafs.
Chairman of the launch event, Senator Mohammed Alkali Gumel said that from the reports of farm trials, laboratory analyses and testimonial of farmers, Geo Fertiliser is a catalyst that would ensure food security for Nigeria and prosper the farmers because of its high crop yield per hectare.
He urged the Kano State Government and other state governments and institutions to buy large quantity of the product and resell to farmers at subsidised price as a form of empowerment to create prosperity for the famers and their families.
Presenting a paper on “Performance of Geo Fertiliser on Wheat Production in Nigeria”, former Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute, Maiduguri and Team Leader, Wheat Value Chain in Nigeria, Dr Gbenga Olabanj said the result of trial of Geo Fertiliser on wheat production was excellent as ‘the trend and the better performance of wheat with Geo Fertiliser over the control and conventional fertiliser recommendation proves the suitability of this fertiliser in wheat production’.
The launch was attended by over 1,000 farmers of several farmers’ associations – rice, onions, wheat, maize, tomato, vegetables, etc, drawn from the 44 local government areas of Kano State and other top technocrats, academics and international partners in the agriculture value chain.
