Nigeria, June 30 -- The farmers made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, saying the high cost of fertiliser was discouraging many smallholder farmers from cultivating their farms.

They noted that although governments at the federal, state and local levels had continued to encourage increased food production, the prevailing market price of fertiliser remained beyond the reach of many peasant farmers.

Mr Wangshak Wutok, a pensioner and father of four, said the rising cost of fertiliser had become a major obstacle to farming.

"Many people are discouraged from farming because of the high cost of fertiliser.

"How can a pensioner like me afford N50,000 for a bag of fertiliser when there are s...