Poor grain prices force Katsina farmers to sesame farming

Poor market prices of grains in the face of high cost of fertiliser has forced many maize farmers in the southern part of Katsina State to adopt sesame cultivation this year. The crop, which demands little or no fertiliser, can also survive in a drought like condition, making it suitable to grow where other crops […]

Poor market prices of grains in the face of high cost of fertiliser has forced many maize farmers in the southern part of Katsina State to adopt sesame cultivation this year.
The crop, which demands little or no fertiliser, can also survive in a drought like condition, making it suitable to grow where other crops may fail.
In addition to its simple farming technique, the farmers want to unravel the opportunities in the sesame booming market, especially as it is an export commodity.
A farmer in Mabai, Kankara Local Government Area, Malam Sanusi Umar, said it is no longer profitable to cultivate maize or sorghum going by the high cost of fertiliser and other farming expenses.
He said “In the last farming season, many of us sold our maize at N2, 500 at the eve of the harvesting period while we bought a bag of fertilizer at over N5, 000 in the market.
“Right now, the cost of sorghum is N3,500 in the market, so in order to stay afloat in the farming business, we are giving sesame farming a trial this year as it requires less fertiliser than maize and its high demand in the market.”
He said that he has realised that there are prospects in the crop.
This reporter gathered that many sesame farmers in Kankara, Malumfashi, Kafur, Danja and Bakori areas are sourcing their seedlings from their co-farmers as sesame support companies such as Olam, Watcot, or Kaura were yet to reach out to farmers in that axis.
Abdulkadir Musa, 52, of Tandama in Danja Local Government Area said there was need for such companies to reach out to them, adding: “Some farmers here in Danja have this year ventured into sesame farming without proper orientation in their effort to run away from fertilizer demanding crops. They find it difficult sourcing the seedlings and the technique of planting it. That was why some of the farmers have to replant it twice after consultation with experienced sesame farmers from Kankara and Bakori.”
He observed that the intervention of the marketing companies of the commodity, through the provision of quality seedlings and making advance payments to farmers, will boost the crop production in the southern part of the state.
Abdulkadir stated that provision of a market will also serve as a morale booster to the farmers in the area.
It is observed that the growing unemployment rate in the country has also forced many youth into farming of cash crops such as sesame.
Mal Muhammadu Sani, 31, from Bakori said his inability to secure job or further his studies due to financial constraints forced him into sesame and other cash crops farming.