Nigerian farmers have called on the Federal Government to deploy additional security personnel to protect their farms from bandit attacks, which is threatening their harvest season.
Farmers, mostly in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi states, made the clarion call in different locations.
Speaking with reporters in Gusau, a cross-section of farmers said bandits have been imposing levies on rural communities, disrupting farming activities and preventing many farmers from harvesting their crops.
The Sarkin Noman Mayanchi of Maru Local Government Area, Kabir Ibrahim, urged the government to address the insecurity by deploying more security operatives to rural areas.
“We have recorded bumper harvests across different parts of the state, but the harvest period remains a challenge due to bandit activities”, Ibrahim said.
“Some farmers, who cultivated maize and rice, are now afraid to go to their farmlands for fear of attacks. Bandits demand money from communities or prevent access to farms, forcing some large-scale farmers to abandon their crops”, he added.
He noted that some communities had resorted to forfeiting portions of their yields to bandits to secure access to their farms.
A farmers’ leader in the Shinkafi Local Government of Zamfara state, Adamu Bazamfare linked fallen food prices to both government policies and bumper harvests, calling for more security support to allow farmers to harvest freely and prepare for dry-season farming.
“Farmers are happy with this year’s yields, but insecurity has prevented them from harvesting what they planted. Bandits demand payments or portions of crops, or they block access altogether,” Bazamfare said, and warned that government food import policies could discourage local farming and urged investment in subsidised fertilizers and other inputs.
In Sokoto, the Programme Manager of the State Agricultural Development Project (SADP), Abubakar Danmaliki reported of bumper harvests across the state’s 23 local government areas, despite flooding in eight areas during the rainy season, assuring affected farmers of government support.
Also, a farmer from the Wamakko LGA, Lawalli Yusuf, appealed for reduced fertilizer costs and other input subsidies, citing low farm produce prices as a challenge. Currently, a bag of paddy rice sells for between N23,000 and N30,000, maize N32,000, millet N32,000, a measure of onions N1,300, and pepper N900 in Sokoto markets.
In Kebbi, farmers identified low commodity prices, insecurity, and inadequate storage facilities as major challenges. A rice farmer from the Argungu LGA, Adbullahi Musa, said the bumper harvest was encouraging, but noted that rice prices had dropped from N45,000 last year to between N25,000 and N28,000.
Maryam Dogo of Zuru LGA highlighted insecurity as a major concern, especially in remote areas of Danko-Wasagu, Sakaba, and Ribah LGAs, as farmers often travel in groups with security escorts to protect themselves during harvests.
On his part, a millet farmer in Yauri, Garba Noma, said the lack of modern silos and warehouses leads to post-harvest losses of up to 30% of crops. Traders in Birnin Kebbi confirmed that the bumper harvest has driven down prices for rice, maize, and sorghum, with market leader Umaru Adamu attributing the decline to oversupply.
Farmers across the northern states are now making one general appeal – for urgent government intervention – to safeguard their livelihoods, improve storage facilities, and stabilise commodity prices.
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