The farmers in Jigawa State have decried the high cost of fertiliser and other farming inputs in the current rainy season farming, describing the situation as a serious threat to the National Policy on Food Security.
Findings by Tribune Online in the state indicated that some farmers, both small and large scale, have expressed fear over the possibility of failure in the ongoing rainy season as a result of the current exorbitant prices of farming inputs.
Some farmers who spoke to Tribune Online in the state expressed concern over the situation, saying that apart from delays in planting due to inadequate rainfall, there are also poor prices and markets for the produce harvested during the dry season.
One Malam Ibra Bala Ringim said, “I may not be able to return to the farm due to the high cost of fertiliser and the losses I recorded during dry season farming.”
Malam Ibra Bala Ringim noted, “I’m a small-scale farmer who joined the farming business a few years ago after being attracted by government support and the profits gained from good prices and market access for agricultural products in the country.”
According to him, “I disposed of all my farm products from last year and other items during the immediate past dry season, when I produced wheat and rice, but I recorded losses due to the high cost of fuel used for irrigation, and the current poor prices and weak markets for the wheat and rice I produced. How can I go into the rainy season farming with the current exorbitant prices of fertiliser and other inputs?”
Also speaking, Malam Musa Ummaru of Kafingana village said, “There will be a serious problem, and many farmers may not be able to engage in rainy season farming. Some already abandoned it in May, and the few who continue will likely incur losses without government intervention and timely support.”
“The fertiliser we used to buy for ₦40,000 is now being sold at ₦60,000, and what we used to buy for ₦35,000 is now being sold for over ₦45,000,” Malam Musa emphasised.
He added, “We are therefore appealing to Governor Umar Namadi to come to our aid with the timely provision of agricultural input support so we can participate in the forthcoming wet season farming.”
They also urged the state government to use the previous selection and distribution procedure employed under the Fadama office to ensure that fertiliser and other inputs reach genuine farmers at the grassroots.
Another farmer named Auwalu Kaci said, “It’s only through the Fadama III office that our farmers at the grassroots level were able to access government input support directly without any hindrance.”
They stressed the need for the timely provision of farming inputs to boost food production and ensure food security in the state.
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