Jigawa farmers embrace large scale potato farming

Farmers in Jigawa State will soon start competing in the cultivation of sweet potatoes with their counterparts in other states that have been in the production of the crop for long. About 5,000 farmers from the state have engaged in sweet potato production this year. Although sweet potato is a common crop across the North, […]

Farmers in Jigawa State will soon start competing in the cultivation of sweet potatoes with their counterparts in other states that have been in the production of the crop for long. About 5,000 farmers from the state have engaged in sweet potato production this year.

Although sweet potato is a common crop across the North, it was not widely cultivated in the state until about a year or two ago when some farmers gave it a try and to their amazement recorded bumper harvest. 

However, due to poor knowledge in the production of the crop, most farmers, especially in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area, believed that their farmlands lacked the correct type of soil for its production hence sweet potato was not among the crops cultivated in the area.

With no formal training for the farmers to enable them know if their farmlands are fertile for the cultivation of the crop or not, many steered clear of it until few tried it and the yield was encouraging.

Most of the farmers bought into the idea for the production of the crop as they realised it could not only be cultivated on their type of soil, but also in an inter-cropping system of farming as the new crop is growing, their traditional crops are not affected.

Production of sweet potato in the state will not only improve the economic and social status of the farmers, but will also help to stop the menace of migration of youths to cities and other places in search of menial jobs at the end of the farming season, as the crop could be produced thrice a year.

There are indications that the production of the crop will keep increasing considering the level at which consumption is equally increasing. Hitherto, sweet potato was not part of the staple food of the people of the state, but now even food vendors serve it as part of their menu.

An engineer turned farmer, Auwalu Garba Ibrahim, is among the first few to give sweet potato farming a try. He recalled that when he planted the crop in October 2016, he became a laughing stock among farmers.

He said they made jest of him because of their belief that sweet potato would not grow in their type of soil and as such saw him as a farmer that invested to lose. However, when the result was contrary to their expectations; many followed suit this year.

Ibrahim, who abandoned the civil service for farming, told Daily Trust that he cultivated 1.3 hectares of sweet potatoes in an inter-cropping type of farming; further saying that four months after, his crop had matured and was ready for harvest.

He said production of sweet potato did not require much from the farmer as he spent less than N100,000 to give intensive management for just a little over a hectare.

Ibrahim noted that the profit margin of a sweet potato farmer was determined from the point of selecting seeds, stressing that seeds were critical in determining yield.

Ibrahim said by January this year he harvested about 30 tonnes of sweet potatoes from his farm and that for the fact that he allowed them to reach maturity before harvesting, off-takers followed him to the farm. He said he sold a 100kg bag at the cost of N8,000, while the same size in the market cost N9,500.

He further explained that farmers did not maximise their profit because of early harvest as they took their produce to market while still containing some moisture, adding that most major dealers that supplied to the southern part of the country did not patronise such products because they shrank before they reached their destinations.

“Following our bumper harvest and the good turnover, thousands of farmers have joined the production of sweet potatoes in the state this farming season, particularly in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area. When you have good produce, market will never be a problem. Buyers did not only come down to my farm but also offer good price.

“Information available on the internet indicates that the maximum yield in Nigeria is 16 tonnes per hectare, while in South Africa, it is 20 tonnes per hectare. But in January this year I have realised over 30 tonnes in my farm, though it is 1.3 hectares.

“Now we have already planted for this period’s cropping season and in the next four months we are expecting another bumper harvest. But our biggest challenges are pests, rats, stray animals and thieves. Once we are able to overcome these troubles, sweet potato management is cheap and easy.”

The Auditor of Birnin Kudu Local Government Area branch of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lado Yusuf, said two years ago, sweet potato was not part of the crops commonly produced in their area. He recalled that sweet potato was usually supplied to them from neighbouring Kano State.

Yusuf, who has been into farming all his life said, he had never farmed sweet potato but that this year he tried it and got over 20 bags of 100kg from just a quarter of a hectare.

On why farmers in the area embraced en masse sweet potato production this year, Yusuf said it was a response to the clarion call for going back to the farm, as well as the bumper harvest recorded by those who went into it in the past season.

“Now I can tell you there are over 5,000 farmers that have engaged in sweet potato farming this year. In this cropping season, I have given over 800 farmers seeds. 

“Now there is no point for most of the youths travelling to other places looking for menial jobs at the end of the harvest season. Sweet potatoes can be produced three times in a year; there is no off season because as you harvest you replant.

“We had a meeting with our local government chairman and he promised to issue directive that all stray animals be off the streets so that they do not stray into our farms. Animals are our major challenge for dry season farming.”

Efforts to speak to the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Kabir Ali, proved abortive.