Notore had earlier conducted a rigorous and transparent nationwide recruitment exercise for Distribution Partners, in which one out of every five applicants emerged as a Distribution Partner. The lucky applicants were selected based on their experience, capabilities and alignment to Notore’s vision of Championing the African Green Revolution.
The selected Distribution Partners consist of companies who had distinguished themselves in fertiliser distribution business. They are forward looking and enterprising entrepreneurs, established world class players in the logistics and distribution industry as well as progressive commercial farmers.
Speaking to Journalists at the Forum in Onne, Rivers State, Notore Head of Sales, Mr. Felix Enwemadu stated that the Company is determined to achieve African Green Revolution through the provision of premium fertiliser and improved seeds. He said that the key role of the Partners is to ensure that these inputs reach over 14 million farming families in villages, at right quality, time and price.
Mr. Enwemadu noted that, Nigerian farmer utilizes about 8-10kg per hectare as against 200kg per hectare that is approved by Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Until this statistic improves, there will be little hope to increase Nigeria’s agricultural productivity. In Notore, we are determined to bridge this gap!
Also speaking at the Forum, the Managing Director of Efugo Farms and Notore Distribution Partner, Chief Audu Ogbeh OFR, explained that Notore’s efforts at championing the African Green Revolution is indispensable to Nigeria’s development. Mr. Ogbe solicited government’s support for local producers like Notore. He counselled on the need to curtail the rampant importation of Agricultural Inputs and products.
For every ship load of rice imported into Nigeria, we have dispossessed 7,000 Nigerian farmers of their livelihood. In a typical year, Nigeria imports about $2 Billion of rice, which could have been produced in Nigeria and thus provide a livelihood for millions of farmers in the country,’ Mr. Ogbe stated.
Notore is committed to helping reduce hunger and achieve food security on the African continent through the provision of the highest quality of agricultural inputs, premium fertiliser and improved seeds. This is provided through its world class distribution network which enables availability of these products at the village level. As the only Urea fertiliser plant in sub-Saharan Africa, Notore is well positioned to become the major supplier of fertiliser in Africa.
Notore has the capacity to produce approximately 500,000 metric tons of Urea fertiliser and blend approximately 500,000 metric tons of compound fertiliser NPK. It has plans to grow dramatically to over 2 Million metric tons of fertiliser by 2013.
SEPTEMBER 6, 2009