HJRBDA, farmers collaborate to enhance farming

Speaking through the state chairman of All Farmers Association, Alhaji Yusuf Nadabo Chiromawa, farmers in the area said free flow of irrigation water to their farms is obstructed due to grasses that grew along the water channel and is blocking the water from reaching their farms. They call on the Hadeja/Jama’are River Basin Development Authority […]

Speaking through the state chairman of All Farmers Association, Alhaji Yusuf Nadabo Chiromawa, farmers in the area said free flow of irrigation water to their farms is obstructed due to grasses that grew along the water channel and is blocking the water from reaching their farms. They call on the Hadeja/Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) to address the matter.
Alhaji Chiromawa said though there is enough water in Tiga and other dams providing the area with water, not enough water reaches the farmlands because of the several grasses that the channels.
He said because of the intervention of the state government in agricultural activities, so many people are getting involved in farming and the farmlands at Kadawa irrigation area is fast becoming inadequate for the farmers in the state.
“You can see that all the farmlands are merged together. There is no more roads for farmers to convey produce from their farms to the market without passing through other peoples farms. In the original plan, there are roads in between farms. Those roads have been encroached. They no more exist. We want the river basin authority to re-demarcate those roads.
“The authority should also clear the grasses blocking the channels. Water is no more flowing freely to our farms and that is why you discover that some farmers have to buy generators for the pumping of water to their farms. It is not suppose to be so. The channels are designed to supply water to the entire farmlands without necessarily using pumping machines.
“These are the commonest problems disturbing most farmers in the state. These are problems that the river basin authority can address. They had started clearing the grasses before they stopped midway. If they can clear all the grasses in the waterways to provide for the free flow of water and demarcate roads for us in a way that we can move our farm produce without encroaching into other peoples’ farms, we shall be okay,” he said.
When contacted for comments, Managing Director of Hadeja/Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Alhaji Abdu Dahiru said the river basin has made it mandatory to ensure that everything capable of enhancing farming activity at the irrigation area is done to assist the farmers achieve their aim.     
“It is a fact that we do cut the grasses along the waterways to allow for free flow of water. We have now acquired the machine specifically meant for that job and that will make it very easy for us to be clearing the grasses. That is not a problem especially with the machine at our disposal.
“The entire irrigation facilities at Kadawa have room for development and we shall not hesitate to develop it to cater for larger farmlands if the farmers require that. We are always in touch with the farmers to know what they want and we are ever ready to do everything they require that is within our mandate to make sure we enhance agricultural production in the area,” said.
Alhaji Dahiru said officials of the river basin are very much in touch with the farmers and local communities under the Kadawa irrigation area where the authority grant the farmers every assistance and support towards ensuring enhanced agricultural activity.