By Aminu Halilu Tudun Wada
In what’s likely to be losses in the large-scale agricultural sector, farmers face setbacks or a lack of production. Garki Farmers in Jigawa state state that they are on the brink of phasing out from farming due to the excessive Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as Petroleum or Fuel.
In their tête-à -tête with the farmers in the town, FARMERS VOICE NG gathered that most of the seasonal farmers in the region decry the hike in seeds, fertilizer, insecticides, and other logistics and mechanized tools used to achieve a bumper harvest, as they don’t have the means to accommodate all, which was caused by the fuel hike since the Federal government removed fuel subsidy in May.
A seasoned farmer, Abubakar Aliyu Shehu, lamented that the situation is getting out of hand daily, nearly forcing them to concede, and if care is not taken, it might spell doom and the end for thousands of jobs.
“I am not an expert or have adequate data at hand, but in layman’s perceptions and calculations, we are going to lose over 100 million Naira if we are stuck with no option to continue.”
“We know that state and federal governments, as well as development partners, are coming with aids and interventions, sometimes even loans and soft loans, but are we targeted? Are the real farmers benefiting from it? I can answer you ‘No,’ if you said ‘yes,’ then very few and lucky ones,” said Abubakar Aliyu Shehu.
On his part, Musa Ibrahim, who hails from the town, said they need not only strategic intervention from the government and development partners but also collaborative efforts and permeating workshops that will help farmers in modern farming and utilize the small resources they have at hand, so as to survive in this critical time of economic situation in the country.
He added that the situation is getting worse, coupled with this season’s low rainfall in most of the Northwest states of the country, banditry and insecurity in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara da Sokoto, and now fuel hike, the flight of small rural farmers not only in Garki but in the entire Northern part of the nation is facing a significant decline, which is doom for the food security of the country and economy.
The farmers call on stakeholders to come to their rescue and devise various ways to get out of the quagmire they are toiling in their quest to be self-reliant and boost the economic sector of the country.
