As a result of collaboration between NAFDAC and the Association of Agro-Input dealers in the state towards ensuring that all distributors, marketers and retailers of agro input in the state get “listed” with the agency and illegal marketers, particularly those distributing substandard and falsified agro input are flushed out of the state and to ensure that inappropriate use of agrochemicals such as spraying directly on grains and other food substances for preservation, body or hair treatment and suicide is eradicated. The association, in yielding to the request and encouragement of the agency, has handed over fake, substandard and falsified agro inputs, mostly chemicals, worth millions of Naira to members of the staff of NAFDAC Taraba State office. The event which took place at the secretariat of the union on 26th June, 2019 saw the secretary of the union, Mr. Kwafa D. Manas and the chairman, Alh. Saidu Mohammed, giving out some facts and methods on the ways to easily identify falsified agrochemicals. In addition it was alleged that most of the dealers of these products are non-members of the union, and not even residents of Taraba State, but touts and hawkers who move around various markets displaying their goods on their vehicles, usually at less than company price, thereby attracting unsuspecting farmers.
Among the falsified products handed over are:
- Glyphosate 522L
- Paraquate 131L
- 24D 70L
- Atrazin Liquid 31L
- Butachlor Liquid 33L
- Selective for Rice 12L
- Atrazin Powder 139 Sachets
- Butachlor Powder 411 Sachets
- Insecticides 32L
- Selective for Maize 16L
- Liquid Fertilizer 42L
- Seed Dress 108 Sachets
- Maize Seed 5 Sachets
Receiving the products worth One Million Five Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand, One Hundred Naira (1,548,100.00), the Taraba State Coordinator of NAFDAC, in the company of other members of staff of the agency thanked the union and encouraged them not to relent in their support to the agency as the benefit is mutual both for the agency and for genuine dealers. He however frowned at the situation where only about 10% of the genuine agro inputs dealers in the state have been accredited through the mandatory ‘listing’ of all agro inputs dealers in the country, by the office in the state. As according to him this is making the regulation of agro inputs marketers very difficult. He therefore appealed to the union leaders to extend their collaboration with the office to encouraging their members to get listed as soon as possible. This he said will enable the office plan a program where farmers will be sensitized and encouraged specifically to patronize only accredited agrochemical dealers in the state. According to him, this will not only ease NAFDAC’s work of identifying and sanctioning recalcitrant individuals/marketers appropriately, but will also help to improve the business for the compliant ones, while both the farmers and other members of the society will be the better for it.
At the end of the event, the NAFDAC staff received the falsified agrochemicals for proper identification, monitoring and eventual storage pending the destructions.
