The Minister for the Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery, has urged citizens living in communities across the country’s borders to effectively support and collaborate with the security agencies to help reduce the smuggling of subsidised fertilisers.

He also appealed to the country’s traditional rulers to assist the security agencies to reduce the smuggling of fertilisers out of the country, since this would help ensure the successful implementation of the government’s programmes and policies.

The minister, as well, urged the security agencies, especially the Immigration Services to be vigilant in abating the smuggling of fertilisers meant for the Planting for Food and Jobs programme out of the country.

Ambrose Dery made the appeal when he was answering a question posed by the MP for South Dayi, Mr Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor on the steps the ministry was taking to curb the smuggling of fertilisers meant for the Planting for Food and Job Programme across the borders.

He disclosed that the ministry has identified the causes of the smuggling and shortages and was mapping out better strategies to get fertilisers to farmers across the country directly, which he explained, will help the ministry to solve the canker of fertiliser smuggling in border towns.

The minister, however, lamented that since the Agriculture Ministry cannot fight the canker alone, it was partnering with National Security, Immigration Service and the Ghana Police Service to find a lasting solution to the problem, adding that he saw smuggling of fertilisers as a national issue.