The Upper West Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has imposed restrictions on the movement of fertilizer and other farm inputs in the Sissala East Municipality and Sissala West District.
Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, the Minister and Chairman of the Upper West Regional Security Council, said the measure is to help stop the practice of smuggling fertilizer out of the country to ensure that local farmers in the region had enough to purchase.
“No vehicle will be allowed to carry fertilizer in the Sissala East and West area, and those intending to buy in large quantities must do so with a police escort. All fertilizer movement must be done within 6.00am to 6.00pm.”
Dr. Bin Salih said this over the weekend during a meeting with input dealers and other stakeholders at Tumu as part of measures to safeguard agricultural activities in the Upper West Region.
He expressed concern about the smuggling of fertilizer to neighbouring countries like Burkina Faso, especially from the Sissala West and its neighbouring areas, which, he said, was an impediment to the progress of agriculture in the country.
“It’s disheartening to note that intelligence got to us that smuggling was taking place, particularly in the Sissala West area, and we got alarmed as some 45 Rhino truckloads of fertilizer, each carrying about 300 pieces of fertilizer, were carted into Burkina Faso,” he said.
The scale of the act of smuggling led to the Ministry of Agriculture withdrawing names of dealers who had records of dabbling in smuggling in previous years.
Dr. Bin Salih, who highlighted other measures to safeguard agriculture, said: “All farm inputs coming into the region must first report to the Regional Coordinating Council for us to know the vehicle, the quantity, and the destination, once they get into the Sissala area, we expect the consignment to be offloaded into shops and sold to the public”.
