Poor harvest threatens farmers in Sokoto

Farmers in Sokoto State would have recorded a bumper harvest but for the flood which was said to have destroyed 70 percent of farmlands in the state. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 70 percent of the farming population might not have enough to eat as a result of the flood. However, chairman […]

Farmers in Sokoto State would have recorded a bumper harvest but for the flood which was said to have destroyed 70 percent of farmlands in the state.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), 70 percent of the farming population might not have enough to eat as a result of the flood.
However, chairman of the All Farmers Association in the state, Dr. Murtala Gagado, said only 40 percent of farmers were affected by the flood and that they were working towards recovering their loss through irrigation farming.
He said that many farmers in the state were enjoying good harvest despite the disaster.
“We are meeting with our members who lost their produce to the disaster, assuring them that the state government in conjunction with AFAN would help them recover their losses by engaging them in massive dry season farming,” he said.
He sought for an immediate intervention of the government in the provision of seeds and water pumping machines to farmers which would help boosting irrigation activities in the state.
While commending the government for the timely provision of fertilizers to farmers, he assured of their commitment and support to enhance dry season farming in the state.
A farmer, who simply identified himself as Malam Umar, said farmers need support now more than ever because many of them could not make good harvest this year due to the flood disaster.
“Some of them invested all their money, some even borrowed money to buy inputs in anticipation of good harvest this year but it was not the case as their crops got destroyed by the flood,” he said.
The  crops include rice, onion and other perishable food crops.