Commercial farmers in many parts of northern Nigeria may have decided to halt all farming activities as security challenges continue to threaten their lives, families, and their means of livelihood.
Owners of visible farms along major highways across the country, such as the Abuja -Kaduna expressway, Abuja -Keffi- Jos expressway, Abuja- Lokoja highway, Zaria- Funtua Gudau road, and a host of others have closed due to banditry and kidnappings.
Daily Trust reports that a member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, who owns a farm in Birnin Gwari LGA, Complained that he had to close down his farm due to the activities of the bandits.
“I have no choice but to cease visiting the farm. Before assuming office, I used to regularly check on the workers and witness the farm’s flourishing state, but not anymore”. He said.
Another farmer, Iman Hussani Udawa expressed his regret over the closure of his farm on the Kaduna- Niger state boundary, which he said has led to workers losing their jobs.
Udawa said, “I was forced to shut down the farm from which I used to harvest over 500 bags annually. For years, the area has been overrun by bandits, and we have no option but to vacate the place”.
Udawa lamented that the continued closure of big farms could further cause food scarcity and may threaten food security across the country.
Mr Iman also explained that many Commercial Banks in the state have been closed due to the severity of the situation.
The current situation is begging for government intervention as complaints continue to rise from places like Gorin Town, Gubja LGA, and Umogidi village of Adoka district in Otukpo LGA amongst other regions in the country.
Architect Kabiru Ibrahim, National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), said there was “a partial or total collapse of commercial farming in the North Central, North West, and North East, largely due to insecurity.”
“The government must intervene to grant more Subsidies and provide adequate security to these large commercial farms to enable them to scale up productivity and get them back on course”. He added
Amos Banda, an independent agricultural economist amongst other experts has also expressed his utmost displeasure to the situation. According to him, the affected areas were the hub of food production that houses most of the commercial farms that have been contributing to the nation’s food production capacity which by indication was partly responsible for the high cost of food in the country.
“If the truth is to be told, what Nigerians are currently facing is the aftermath of the closure of these commercial farms. It is apparent that their contribution towards food production in the country at large is very significant and their forceful closure means a decline in the nation’s agricultural production capacity”. Mr Amos stated.
Officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture said that the government was doing everything possible to ensure farms were protected.
According to a Director with the ministry, Agro-Rangers from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), will be deployed to guard commercial farms across the country.
