Plateau farmers hopeful of bountiful yield

Dry season farmers in Jos, the Plateau State capital, have expressed optimism of bountiful yields. The farmers, who came from other local government areas to Jos for dry season farming, said they made a minimum of N100,000 before returning home. They cultivated lands along areas like the Lamingo dam and planted different varieties of crops. […]

Dry season farmers in Jos, the Plateau State capital, have expressed optimism of bountiful yields.

The farmers, who came from other local government areas to Jos for dry season farming, said they made a minimum of N100,000 before returning home. They cultivated lands along areas like the Lamingo dam and planted different varieties of crops. They said they paid rents to land owners to cultivate and plant their crops.

Farming close to the dam makes the irrigation system easy for the farmers as they use the dam to water their crops.

At the end of the farming, they returned to their local government areas to engage in other ventures. They said dry season farming was not fancied by many because they lacked the skill and tenacity to engage in it.

Innocent Shehu from Bokkos Local Government Area said he started dry season farming two years ago to help himself financially.

Shehu, who said he got between N50,000 and N100,000 last year, disclosed that he commenced farming since October 2019 and hoped to harvest this month.

“I farm for someone and get paid, but I also do a little for myself. If I farm for myself I can plant three bags of Irish potatoes and harvest up to 20 bags. Depending on the time of harvest, each bag can go for as much as N8,000 to N10,000. When the price is up, it can make N15,000. In the space of the three months, one can make a profit of up to N100,000,’’ he said.

He urged government to reduce the price of fertiliser as it is expensive for them to buy. He advised that youths should get into dry season farming because it is profitable; besides, they have the ability to work hard and get something for themselves.

On his part, Dogara Iliya said he planted fresh pepper, tomatoes, cucumber and green beans, adding that they use machines to pump water from the dam to water their farms. He said they also applied fertiliser and manure.

“We get the land on rent from the owners. We use it during the dry season and they use it during the rainy season. Most land owners are not good at dry season farming, that is why they give their lands to us on rent to use, and when the rain commences, and after we have harvested our crops, we hand back their lands to them,’’ he said.

Another farmer, Longkat Sule, who spoke to our correspondent, said he had high assurance of bountiful yield because he really nurtured what he planted.

“I farm only during the dry season and I plant only Irish potatoes. Since I started dry season farming, it has been good for me. That is why I kept at it. The only problem is that we need support from the government, but we are not getting any. Even the fertiliser has become really expensive; it costs over N10,000. Unfortunately, I don’t use anything else to grow my crops, and if I don’t apply fertilizer, the crop will not germinate well. So, we have to look for fertiliser anyhow. We buy in measures when we cannot afford bags,’’ Sule said.

Sule, who hails from Mangu Local Government Area, said he farmed for someone else and hoped to get paid at the end of the season. According to him, the person he farmed for often assisted him with food and transportation.