Inside the dry season farms of Gada – Biu

Gada-Biu is an agrarian community in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Located along Abuja-Lokoja road, the town is home to hundreds of dry season farmers producing different crops and vegetables on a vast farmland that stretches several hectares.Caught by the sight of green leaves that stretch as far as the eye […]

Gada-Biu is an agrarian community in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Located along Abuja-Lokoja road, the town is home to hundreds of dry season farmers producing different crops and vegetables on a vast farmland that stretches several hectares.
Caught by the sight of green leaves that stretch as far as the eye could see from a bridge on both sides of the highway, this reporter decided to spend a day inside the farms to relate with farmers and hear their story.
This reporter was told that walking across the farmlands in one day is not possible, which indeed was true! But a day with some of the farmers presented a unique opportunity to feel what they felt and their lost hope of any government assistance despite actively producing crops year round.
Dayibu Yakuba is a 39-year-old man. He has a farmland close to the main road where he produces maize for the dry season and rice for the rain-fed season.
He has been into dry season farming for the past 10 years in the area. Weeding grasses from his maize while his brother followed applying fertiliser. He said in the last three years he never got any fertiliser or seedling from either Kwali Area Council, FCTA or even the federal government.
“Those who get these inputs you are talking about are not people like us,” he said, pointing a finger at his chest, adding, “sometimes we heard they gave it at Kwali.  Some people who do not even have farms here, who sit at the main road there along the market got it. Even this fertiliser, we bought it from them,” he said.
Dayibu seems to have lost hope about receiving any government assistance. “God is helping us here,” he said. “You can see my farm, I am a poor man, but with this I support my brothers, feed my children and mother.”
 A man probably in his early 40s, Salisu Salau, was seen harvesting his okra on his farm.
 “I farm okra and maize,” he said. “Last week, I bought fertiliser worth N20,000. I don’t have option but to buy from the market. This farming is helping us so much we can’t stop it. I came here from Katsina 17 years ago, and I have been farming here for the past eight years,” he said.
His maize indeed looks green and growing well. He is optimistic that bumper harvest will be experienced this year ; it has always been the case in the past years, according to him.
“We need fertiliser, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and pumping machines. Some of us will even expand more if we get these inputs. Go into the town now, you will see fresh maize, okra, pepper everywhere. People come from Abuja and other places to buy from us,” Salau added.
Adamu Giwa is a farmer in his 30s. He was seen applying fertiliser to his maize. He said farming maize in the dry season helps as it generates good revenue.
Giwa said he is aware that government gave some farmers input but he never received any. He claims that the government officials preferred to deal with community leaders who then select who to give the input to. He said that all the inputs he uses are bought from the market.
“If I have fertiliser, I would have done more. You know dry season farming in areas like this needs fertiliser and early maturing seeds. We farm three times a year here. If we get support three times as well, you will see food everywhere any time,” Giwa said.
Abdullahi Abdussalam is a vegetables farmer who we seen spraying his farm with chemicals. His spinach, okra and pepper farm has been destroyed by pests.
“I bought this fertiliser for N5,500 and the pesticide N1,000 to control pests. I will apply the fertiliser so that the vegetables will recover from the effect of the pests,” Abdussalam said.