Attractive price: Taraba farmers engage in sesame irrigation farming
In a bid to harvest more produce and make good profit as the price of sesame reaches an all time high, some farmers in Taraba State are engaging in irrigation farming. Weekend Trust reports that many farmers in Gassol Local Government Area have planted sesame seeds in their irrigation farms, with a high hope of […]
In a bid to harvest more produce and make good profit as the price of sesame reaches an all time high, some farmers in Taraba State are engaging in irrigation farming.
Weekend Trust reports that many farmers in Gassol Local Government Area have planted sesame seeds in their irrigation farms, with a high hope of getting good harvest. This is as a result of high demand of the commodity this year.
Our correspondent learnt that as the demand for the commodity surges, very few farmers have stocks, making it one of the most valuable crops in the market.
Alhaji Muktari Ajuji Sabongida in Gassol Local Government Area told Weekend Trust that he had already planted sesame seeds in his farms and hoping to get good yield.
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He said his farms were located on the valley of River Benue, adding that the land is fertile and can sustain multiple crops for a long period.
He also said there was no need to water the farm although it is dry season because of the moisture level of the soil. He, however, said the drought experienced in the area recently made many farmers to lose their investments, but the current price of the commodity encouraged him and other farmers to venture into sesame farming this dry season.
Zubairu Adamu, another farmer in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area, said he planted sesame side by side his rice farm, hoping to get good yield.
He said it was an innovation but there’s hope for good yield, adding that in the state, sesame is harvested twice – during the rainy season and when the rains cease. He said farmers would make good profits if the current price is sustained.
Our correspondent gathered that a 100kg bag of white sesame, which was sold at N105,000 during the harvest period, has risen to N120,000.
It was further gathered that this year, many young farmers in the state have made millions of naira as they harvested between 10 and 100 bags of sesame during the just concluded harvest period across the state.
Dauda Adamu from Bali Local Government Area told our correspondent that he harvested 50 bags of sesame this period, adding that he sold 30 bags at N105,000 each and bought a fairly used car for commercial purpose.
“I will sell the remaining bags and invest the proceeds in wet season farming. It is very important to know that young people in the villages across the state are taking advantage of the current good price of the commodity to engage in farming,” he said.