Fertiliser, labour costs put Niger irrigation farmers on edge

Peasant farmers in rural areas in Niger State are grappling with the rising costs of fertiliser and labour, a situation that is posing significant challenge to irrigation farming this season. The farmers said irrigation farming is capital intensive but much support is not coming from the government in terms of accessing tractors and subsidised fertiliser […]

Peasant farmers in rural areas in Niger State are grappling with the rising costs of fertiliser and labour, a situation that is posing significant challenge to irrigation farming this season.

The farmers said irrigation farming is capital intensive but much support is not coming from the government in terms of accessing tractors and subsidised fertiliser despite the fact that the state boasts of agricultural evolution.

Also, the large bodies of water across the state could not be effectively utilised due to lack of irrigation facilities among peasant farmers.

With these challenges, the farmers predicted that the end to food insecurity is not near.

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A survey conducted across major farming communities in the state revealed that many farmers were unable to afford adequate supply for their farms due to the high prices of fertilisers, a critical input for dry season rice production.

“It is becoming nearly impossible for small-scale farmers to afford fertiliser. At a start, I spent N100,000 for just two bags of fertiliser. And without enough fertiliser, rice would not yield well,” Yahaya Kudu, a farmer in Gbako Local Government Area said.

Aliyu Mohammed, a rice farmer in Lavun Local Government Area, said that instead of applying at least three bags of fertiliser in a hectare, he only managed to apply one and a half bag this season.

“Fertiliser is now sold at N46,000 per bag, so, we only managed to apply one and half bag instead of three. It is really affecting our production; and it has effects on food security.

“I irrigate my farm from the River Gbako, using a water pumping machine. I buy 7 to 10 liters of fuel every week to be able to pump water to my farm. So, if I do this for two to three months, you know how much it costs me to do irrigation farming,” he said.

Mahmud Bala, another farmer in Wushishi Local Government said that unless with government support, the cost of fertiliser would not allow proper care of their farms.

“We bought fertilisers of different qualities and products at the different prices. We have two types we use in irrigation farming—the NPK and UREA. The NPK Golding and Matrix are sold at N45,000 while Urea Dangote, Indorama and Netoro are sold at N38,000. Actually, the cost affects our production, but if we get the support of the government, the impact would be minimal,” he said.

Also speaking, Nma Mohammed, an irrigation farmer in Katcha Local Government said the challenges they faced included the costs of labour and fertiliser.

“The cost of inputs is higher and it is affecting us. We buy fertiliser and fuel, as well as hire labour at high cost. We are not able to cultivate as many hectares of land as we plan because you need fertiliser. And you need to buy fuel to pump water. You also need to hire labour. All these things are important in dry season farming,” he explained.

Findings by Weekend Trust revealed that most farmers venturing into irrigation farming are selling their rainy season inputs, with little hope of getting back their investments.

Alhaji Suleiman Mohammed from Gbako Local Government said the high cost of labour was caused by migration of young people in rural communities to cities and towns in search of greener opportunities, leaving aging farmers to manage their fields.

Our correspondent was told that in rural areas, the wage for farm labourers increased from N1,500 for three hours to N3,000, a situation many farmers said they could not sustain.

Findings by Weekend Trust showed that this year, many farmers opted to cultivate few hectares of their farmlands. 

Farmers said the reduction in cultivation would lead to a significant drop in the production of foods, especially rice. They said that with Niger State being one of the major players in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, the ongoing struggles of its farmers showed broader issues in the country’s food production system.

A survey of rural markets in the state showed a gradual rise in prices of some staple crops, especially rice.