Starting this year, the government has decided to allocate 10% of the fertilizer subsidy to organic fertilizers.
By Alioune Badara NDIAYE (Correspondent) – A new line is opening up in the subsidy of agricultural inputs. The 10% of the subsidy for fertilizers will be devoted to organic fertilizers for the benefit of agro-ecology actors. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Equipment (Maer) made the announcement on Friday, during a ceremony at the Ministry. “I told you that I had a little good news for you. It is that this year we will try to put 10% of the fertilizer subsidy to organic farming with organic fertilizers; it is done. We just ask you to accompany us to see the impact it will have scientifically,” said Professor Moussa Baldé.
The amount allocated to the subsidy of fertilizers has changed significantly over the years, from 4.6 billion (2004-2005) to 13.9 billion CFA francs (2013-2014), according to a report of the European Commission on the subsidy of agricultural inputs in Senegal published in 2020. It will therefore be an envelope of more than one billion francs that will be available to agro-ecological producers in view of these figures.
“We seek your support, your advice, monitoring so that tomorrow we can say to the authority here is the 10%, we did well to put them there and we think it should increase to 20 or even 30%, “said the Maer, addressing the actors of agro-ecology.
The mayor of Ndiob, Oumar Ba, whose town was designated on June 5, during the Awards of Ecology, the most ecological town in West Africa, came to present the award to Professor Baldé, in the presence of partner structures, such as Enda-Pronat, Cicodev, Ipar.
“We thank you for having honored your word by making available to all producers engaged in agro-ecology 10% of the grant for organic fertilizers,” said Mariam Sow, Executive Secretary of Enda-Pronat and member of the Dynamics for an agro-ecological transition in Senegal (Dytaes). She particularly noted the synergy between the various actors that led to the development of the document chosen as the best at the Ecology Awards, held in Côte d’Ivoire. “These Awards have registered 262 participants from West Africa, Francophone and Anglophone. Seven municipalities were nominated and finally that of Ndiob was designated the most ecological of West Africa by an international jury,” said its mayor. “Through this prize, we have valued the inclusive approach. We have been strongly accompanied by Enda-Pronat for the construction of this inclusive vision. We have valued the eco-villages. It is the culmination of a cluster of initiatives of actors, mainly the Dytaes,” noted Mr. Ba, also president of the ecological cities and towns of Senegal.
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Source: The Daily, July 5, 2021