Crisis causing food shortage in Taraba

But at the moment, there are serious indications that Taraba State would experience food shortage this year, following the massive displacements of farmers from many parts of the state.The incessant attacks by suspected herdsmen, especially on Tiv communities within the southern zone and some parts of the central zone have led to the death of […]

But at the moment, there are serious indications that Taraba State would experience food shortage this year, following the massive displacements of farmers from many parts of the state.
The incessant attacks by suspected herdsmen, especially on Tiv communities within the southern zone and some parts of the central zone have led to the death of many farmers and displacement of scores of others.
Most of the villages attacked in Wukari, Takum, Donga, Ibi, Bali and Gassol are agrarian communities, implying that farming activities in such areas may not be feasible this year.
Agricultural experts said early planting of crops enhances better yields. In this wise, even if the crises ends today and farmers resume their farming activities, they might not get a good yield any longer this cropping season, a development that is going to have negative impact on the state in terms of food security.
A large number of the farmers have already abandoned their farmlands and fled to neighbouring states and other safer places to seek refuge there.
Our correspondent who went round some of the villages observed that a good number of farming communities in the state have been burnt and now turned into ghost towns with no sign of farming or any other human activities going on at the moment.
A farmer in Wukari, Ande Apollos,  said many farmers have been displaced from their homes and are yet to return back due to fear of further attacks by the herdsmen, adding: “With the way things are going, there is possibility of food shortage in the state this year.”
He said unless government guarantees adequate security for farmers to return to their various places, it would be impossible for farmers to come back and start any cultivation.
At Danacha, a community leader Daniel Agbagede, lamented that the attacks by herdsmen has sacked over 50 Tiv communities who engage in farming predominantly to earn their living.
He said farmers in the areas will not be able to carry out any serious farming activities this year unless they are guaranteed of adequate security and peace for them to return to their farms.
According to him, some farmers who returned back to their places to begin farming activities following the signing of a peace agreement, only met their untimely deaths on the farms.
He said farmers were forced to sell their farm produce and livestocks at give away prices because of the situation, adding that a heap of yam that would have sold for N30,000 sold for as low as N8,000.
Also, a cross section of Tiv elders in Danacha, expressed helplessness and disappointment over government’s inability to protect lives and property of the people, saying they now live in fear.
They appealed to the government to deploy security personnel to their communities and find lasting solutions to the situation to enable them return to their areas and begin farming activities.
Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Taraba State, Comrade Hassan Abubakar, also expressed fears of imminent food shortage in the state following the massive displacements of farmers in the state.
“Definitely, it is going to affect food production in the state. There have been crises in some local government areas in the state and people have not gone back to their places. The crisis is going to affect the production of food in the state this year,” he said.
Hassan, who could not ascertain the exact number of farmers either killed or displaced since the crises began in some parts of the state, said that many farmers have been affected in one way or the other.
He urged government to its continue reconciliation efforts with the various stakeholders to bring lasting solution to the problem so that farmers can return to their places, especially now that the farming season has commenced in earnest.
Hassan called on the government to deploy security personnel across the affected villages to give the farmers the confidence to return to their homes and begin farming activities.
He called on the government to assist the affected farmers with farm implements and inputs to enable them start all over again since many of their farm tools as well as inputs were destroyed during the crises.
“We want government to give them loans and farm inputs. If they should go back now, how can they even start farming since their farming tools have been destroyed,” Hassan said.
Speaking on the development, Senior Special Assistant to Taraba State Acting Governor on Media and Publicity, Aaron Artimas, said government was making concerted efforts to end the crises, adding that with the recent allocation of patrol Hilux vans to security agencies in the state, the crisis would soon come to an end.
“You know, restoration of peace is a process. It is not an auto stop. It is not something you can stop at once. It is not a radio cassette playing that you can just press a button and it stops at once. So, as I said, government is in the process of bringing the crisis to an end.
“The Acting Governor is aware of the hardships the people are facing and had made a commitment that government will compensate those affected in the crisis. The compensation may not be 100% but it will go a long way in alleviating their sufferings.”