40 years after, cotton farming revival shaky in FCT
All efforts to revive cotton production, which has been abandoned for nearly 40 years in the Federal Capital Territory, do not seem to be yielding the targeted results, Daily Trust investigations have shown.
Soil experts as well as cotton farmers believe that cotton can be grown in all the six area councils of the FCT if appropriate agro-practices are followed.
Last year, the Cotton Producers and Merchants Association of Nigeria (COPMAN) re-introduced cotton farming in the nation’s capital through the Anchor Borrower Programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Our correspondent, however, learnt that the efforts came with many challenges right from the beginning.
Poor soil preparation, low rainfall, lack of money and insecurity are the major bottlenecks suffered by the farmers who re-started cotton farming last year, Daily Trust learnt.
Some of the farmers, who spoke with our reporter, also complained about CBN’s failure to keep its promise of providing them with money to offset labourers’ pay who worked on the farms.
Usman Surajo Baba, a farmer in Gwagwalada Area Council, said he did not make any profit from cotton farming last season. He was also kidnapped by bandits in his farm during the harvesting period.
Usman described the Anchor Borrower scheme as a good initiative by the federal government to empower local farmers but, according to him, it came with so many challenges.
“Most of us who are cash crops farmers in the FCT are traditionally used to ginger, cassava and yam farming which are considerably lucrative with minimum risks.
“But they came up with this idea of cotton farming. They lured us by promising to provide us with loans of both materials and cash. But we ended up getting materials without getting the cash,’’ he said.
Usman also spoke on the late arrival of the materials, and how he was kidnapped.
He said: “They brought the seed and other materials very late. That was the reason our cotton did not grow well. During harvesting, I used my car to bring in some workers who were to harvest the cotton for me. Eventually, I was attacked and kidnapped in the farm.
“My family had to sell our properties to pay the ransom of N500,000 before I was released. It was a horrible experience and we lost most of the harvest.”
Did the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) insure him? Usman said, “COPMAN told us that all its members were insured by NAIC. But up till now nobody has come to us to find out about our losses. They are only concerned about loan recovery.”
The chairman, FCT Cotton Producers and Merchants Association, Malam Muftahu Muhammad Munir, explained that many farmers embraced cotton farming in all the area councils except in Abaji.
Malam Munir said, “You know, all our efforts last year to bring back cotton farming in Abuja, 40 years after it had not been practiced was just like a trial.
“Under this revival programme, CBN gives loans to cotton farmers who register with some farmers’ associations and other organisations. The farmers, who qualified for the loan received seeds, fertilizer, insecticides and spraying machines at subsidised prices. At the end of the season, they are expected to pay back these loans with their farm produce.”
Speaking on the challenges they experienced last season, Muftahu said, “We faced many challenges. For instance, we received both the seed and other materials late. That made us plant our seeds late. The seeds were good, and with the aid of the fertilizer and insecticides that we distributed to the farmers, the crop grew fantastically.
“But when it started blooming, there was a sudden seizure of rainfall which was unusual. That was the reason why many farmers did not get as much as they were expecting.
“Our main challenge now is that of debt repayment. Some people who registered with us sold the materials they collected. Now they can’t give us any cotton and they can’t give us back our materials and without this, next batch cannot benefit.”
Responding to the farmers’ allegations on empty promises of cash loan and non-payment of insurance benefits to the farmers, who lost their farm produce, Munir said;
“The cash loan was initially part of the plan our national executives told us. But we don’t really know why the money was not given.
“I know it was quite discouraging because many farmers who rented farmlands had planned to use the money to pay those that they hired to assist them on the farms.
“But on the issue of insurance, I know all our members were insured by NAIC. But as I am talking to you now, no farmer has brought any formal complain to us on any loss. We are still waiting for any farmer with genuine complaints and we will take that to NAIC,” Munir stated.
Malam Rufa’i, a technical officer at NAIC, while responding via telephone, said the corporation had not received any complaints from the cotton farmers in the FCT.
“I can tell you that so far we have not received any complaint,” he said.
A farmer from Bwari Area Council, Nura Mai Block, accused the COPMAN leadership of lack of coordination and misinformation. He told Daily Trust about what he described as his bitter experience in cotton farming last season.
“They told us that they will support us with money, that was why I rented a bigger farm and planted cotton instead of corn. But we were so disappointed that no money was given to us. And I have more than 10 people under my care,” he said.
The chairman of COPMAN, Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji A. Shu’aibu,, explained that farmers recorded low production in Gwagwalada because of insecurity and high cost of labour.
“People are no longer safe here. Some notorious herdsmen sent their cattle in our members’ farms and destroyed everything, and two of our members were kidnapped in their farms,” he said.
He added that “the insecurity situation is discouraging. And for our members to be able to go to farm next season, government needs to set properly all the security apparatuses.’’
All efforts to reach Mr Osita Nwanisobi, CBN spokesman, was not successful up till press time as he did not pick his calls or respond to the WhatsApp message sent to him.