In Niger, cost of inputs pushes many farmers out
The continuous rising cost of inputs, especially fertiliser has pushed many farmers out of irrigation farming in Wushishi and other local governments areas of Niger State.
Farmers in Wushishi LGA also said they had been challenged with the rising incidents of encroachment on irrigation farms by herders, who mostly graze on their farms at night.
The secretary, Mai-Lema Farmers Association, Wushishi Local Government, Bala Mahmud, told Daily Trust on Sunday that, “Currently, our challenges are of two folds. The major one is incessant encroachment on our irrigation farms by herders, especially in the night, otherwise, most of the crops we planted this dry season are growing well.”
He added, “Most of us lack financial strength to buy fertiliser. Right now, there’s no government-subsidised fertiliser in the market. We buy
A group of farmers and pastoralists from Zindiwa community in Udubo district of Gamawa Local Government Area of the Bauchi State has sued the state government over an alleged allocation of 10,000 hectares of farmland to Tiamin Rice Limited.
The suit, with number BA/335/22, was filed before Justice Rabi Talatu Umar of the State High Court, number one, by Mohammed Bello Yaba, Zindiwa Rice Farmers Cooperative Society, against Tiamin Rice Limited, Ministry of Lands and Survey, attorney-general, Bauchi State and the Bauchi State Government.
In a motion filed by counsel
from marketers at a high cost. Urea is N25,000, so also the Golden brand. Some people only apply fertiliser once instead of twice. And if you want irrigation to the plaintiff, Muhammad Alqasim, the plaintiffs are said to be indigenes of Zindiwa, whose forefathers owned the vast area, which now forms part of the grazing reserve.
Alqasim said the first defendant approached the plaintiffs in April 2021and told them that he had acquired the land, alleging that apart from the 10,000 hectares, the defendant is now clearing additional 5,000 hectares without conducting environmental impact assessment, and commenced work on the said land by clearing, blocking cable routes, water points in the reserve and power activities, which caused erosion, flooding and other environmental damages.
When the case was mentioned, counsel to the first defendants, farming to do well, you need to apply fertiliser at least twice. Irrigation farmers cannot do without fertilisers.”
He said only 5 per cent out of
Saidu Muhammad Tudun Wada filed a preliminary objection and asked the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety for want of jurisdiction, as no court of law has the jurisdiction pursuant to 1999 constitution as amended or the land use act 2004 to inquire to the rightfulness and legitimacy of allotment of land may by the executive governor of a state in Nigeria in the exercise of their exclusive powers, including the governor of Bauchi State.
He said the plaintiffs didn’t have any existing personal right over the 10,000 hectares of land situated in Udubo Gamawa Local Government Area because they are not tenants, just like any other herder has a permit to graze on the said land. And the suit is not 10 per cent of irrigation farmers in the state engaged in farming this season, partly due to cost of inputs.
Despite the challenges, he, however said, “We have high hopes that the ones we have planted would yield well. We cannot lose because the practice is favourable this season.”
He appealed to the government at all levels to assist them with subsidised farm inputs to enable more interested people return to the practice to address food insecurity and boost the country’s economy.
In Lavun and Gbako local government areas of the state, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that more people had gone into irrigation farming as a recovery mechanism from the rainy season flood disaster, but unfortunately, they faced challenges of high cost of inputs.
One of the farmers, Idris Mohammed, said most irrigation farmers had picked commercial motorcycle riding, popularly known as okada as alternative to irrigation farming due to cost of the practice. justifiable because it didn’t disclose a valid cause of action against the first defendants.
The counsel said Tiamin Rice paid the Federal Ministry of Environment the sum of N275,000 fees as cost for interalia workshop and field data gathering in respect of the environmental impact assessment. The company also paid an additional N211,000 as an assessment fee to the same ministry and Tiamin Rice carried out all the necessary legal steps for the commencement of the landmark and expansive rice irrigation project.
When the case was mentioned, the presiding judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, adjourned to February 15, 2022 for hearing.