Foreigners mopping up farm produce in Kaduna, women farmers say

As farmers begin harvest in Kaduna State, foreigners are said to be mopping up the produce at cheaper prices, a leader of women farmers in the state has alleged. The leader of women farmers in Makarfi Local Government of the state, Hajiya Maimuna Idris, said foreigners from neighbouring countries like Niger Republic and Chad are […]

As farmers begin harvest in Kaduna State, foreigners are said to be mopping up the produce at cheaper prices, a leader of women farmers in the state has alleged.
The leader of women farmers in Makarfi Local Government of the state, Hajiya Maimuna Idris, said foreigners from neighbouring countries like Niger Republic and Chad are scooping up farm produce from the state and other parts of the North at give-away prices and exporting same to their countries. She told newsmen in Kaduna that farm produce like maize, beans and corn are being loaded in trucks out of the state.
She observed that farmers in the northern region experienced bumper harvest of some of the above mentioned crops this year and if well preserved, will last till the next harvest season thereby removing hunger from the region.
She added, “On my way from Kano this morning at a village called Ungwan Mallam, I saw nothing less than twelve trucks being loaded with bags of corn, maize and beans, I asked my driver to stopped and I made enquires about where the vehicles were heading to and was told they were on their way to Agude in Niger Republic.’’
Hajiya Maimuna called on the federal and state governments to urgently set up a Marketing Board that will buy farms produces from farmers and at the same time ensure proper checking at the country’s borders to checkmate smuggling.