Gada-Biyu dry season farmers need inputs

Bala is one of 3,000 dry season farmers, mostly from Katsina and Kano states domiciled in the area. They have been actively involved in both rain-fed and dry season farming for many years; many have been doing so for over two decades.The 39-year-old farmer cultivates rice in the rain-fed and okra, pepper, garden eggs and […]

Bala is one of 3,000 dry season farmers, mostly from Katsina and Kano states domiciled in the area. They have been actively involved in both rain-fed and dry season farming for many years; many have been doing so for over two decades.
The 39-year-old farmer cultivates rice in the rain-fed and okra, pepper, garden eggs and maize through irrigation during the dry season.
Reacting to the claims by FCT Secretary for Agriculture that 120,000 farmers in the federal capital benefited from government inputs’ distribution he said, “maybe farmers in other places got it; those of us here still don’t have access to it. Last year we went to the area council secretariat in Kwali but very few of our colleagues got it.”
Audu Berde, a rice farmer told the reporters that most of those who got the inputs in the place don’t actually have farms. In fact, “they sell they input to us when they get the allocation.”
Berde later told the reporters in confidence that the indigenes were given special consideration when it comes to inputs distribution “despite the fact that most of them here don’t engage in dry season farming.”
The 47-year-old farmer from Katsina State stressed the need for government to give farmers strong support adding that “whether you are an indigene or not, as far as you are a farmer and contributing to food production, you need the support.”
Another man who simply identified himself as Sani added his voice to the discussion saying because of their preference for indigenes, he doesn’t even go there. “I buy mine from the open market, although it is expensive,” he noted.
Across the river that supplies the irrigation water, a group of men were threshing their rice when the reporters walk up to them. In the heat of the sun only two of them agree to speak with the reporters.
Ishiaku Ibrahim said that as a dry season farmer, one of the major challenges that confront him during irrigation farming in the area is access to water pumping machine that will supply water to the farm.
According to the 28-year-old farmer, he has never received any inputs from the FCT administration this year but added that some of the farmers were given two bags of fertiliser through the federal government’s Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES).
Asked whether he is a registered farmer, he said no information as to where and when to register was available to them. He appealed to government at all levels to visit their farms so as to ascertain the true farmers in the area.
He also stressed that majority of those who benefit from the inputs didn’t even farm but claimed to be farmers thereby selling the inputs to farmers upon collection from government.
Ibrahim urged government to extend dry season support given to farmers elsewhere in the country to them to enable them benefit from the scheme.
“We need water pumping machines, good seeds, pesticides and fertilizer,” he said.
Mika’ilu Sani, who cultivates rice, tomatoes, maize and other vegetable in the area, told the reporters that although he is aware that government sends support, it only ended up with the marketers in the town who resell it to them.
“I will love a situation where government comes to identify the size of your farm, what you cultivate and then determine the sort and amount of support the farmer needs,” Sani said adding that “we are many here who don’t receive any dry season support from any organisation or government.”