Farmers doing business in the South-East region are crying out over the difficult conditions under which they operate, saying some of them have shut their businesses. “We are running out of business. Our farms are going down.
Everything involved in farming business is on the high side, both in crop production and animal husbandry. We are not getting incentives from government, and when it ever comes, there is a lot of discrimination. Getting support from banks is very difficult and selective too. Worse still, the little we struggle to put together, Fulani herders lead their cows to ravage them. It is very frustrating and from all indications, famine is lurking,” they lamented.
A well known cassava farmer in Abia State, Eze Philip Ajomiwe lamented the harsh conditions under which farmers operate in Nigeria, particularly in the South-East region.
Ajomiwe, who is the traditional ruler of Oriendu Autonomous community in Umuahia North Local Government Area, identified malicious invasion of farm lands by herdsmen as a major problem fuelling imminent famine.
The royal father who owns vast acres of cassava farm, lamented that constant grazing on their farms by cows has made farming in his community not only unrewarding but a risky adventure in recent times.
He noted the grave implications of the destructive activities of herdsmen as well as the soaring cost of production, warning that very soon, the rate of hunger in the country would be unmanageable.
His words:”We are finished. I have large acres of land where I plant cassava but cows have rendered them useless. Even my subjects keep calling me to complain of invasion of their farms by herdsmen.”
These days, we are just planting for cows of Fulani herdsmen. Not only that the cows enter and eat up your crops but the wicked herders sometimes uproot the crops to feed their cows.”
He also lamented the rising cost of production as part of the threat to food security, warning that the situation would get worse unless urgent steps are taken by the government.
Lamenting further, the monarch said: “Diesel is now N700 per litre. I use diesel for my tractors, range, fry drier and generator at the factory, and when you add all the costs, you discover that one kilogram of cassava vita for instance, is about N1000 but people can’t afford it. So, how can farmers survive?
“Fifty kg bag of fertiliser that we bought for N7,000 last year now sells for N25,000 to N37,000. You need eight bags for one hectre of land. How much are you going to make out of the produce assuming the cows don’t go in to destroy the crops?”
He blamed government for its docility and failure to decisively deal with the criminal herders willfully inflicting economic pains on farmers.
“Government is the architect of the problem we have today because it encourages the herders by allowing them to get away with their crimes. How can the herdsmen roam with AK-47 and government does nothing? President Muhammadu Buhari should be held accountable because the buck stops at his table.
“There is going to be more scarcity of food because there is no more food in the market.
“I warned government of impending bread scarcity but they thought it was a joke. Today, Master bakers are on warning strike due to the rising cost of materials.
“The problem of insecurity in our farms must be addressed. People are scared of going to the farm and government must address the challenges.
“Even when we cry to the international community, they tell us that Nigeria is a sovereign country.”
We no longer go to farm — Eha-Amufu people
Also farmers in Eha-Amufu community in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State said they no longer go to their farms for fear of attacks by Fulani herdsmen, saying that the situation portends great danger to them over imminent famine.
Many farm settlements at Mgbuji, Ngele Aguiyi and Abo communities all in Eha-Amufu had come under heavy attacks by marauding herders, resulting in the death of many farmers and destruction of farms.
A native told South-East Voice that farmers have abandoned their crops due to constant attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Since these attacks started, soldiers have been accompanying our farmers to the fields but since the soldiers left, they no longer go to their farms,” he said.
Some of the farmers who spoke to South-East Voice regretted that they had huge losses.
Prince Uche, Umuneochi farmer cries out
In an interview also, another farmer at Umunneochi Council area of Abia State, Mr. Prince Uche said the situation was worse with more imminent danger in the area.
“Our situation is worse because not just that the herdsmen enter into our farms to destroy crops, our people are now scared of going to the farm for fear of being attacked or kidnapped by herdsmen.
“In Umunneochi now, a custard bucket of garri that previously sold for N300, now sells for N1000 to N1200. A tuber of yam which sold for about N300 is now selling for N800.
“The primary concern of people in Umunneochi now is no longer how to build houses or buy cars but how to feed because our farm lands have been taken over by herdsmen.
“When we plant, herdsmen not only graze on the farms but sometimes wickedly uproot the crops and give to their cows.
“Umunneochi particularly Isuochi, is reputed for cashew production but now, herdsmen have taken over our cashew plantations.
“We want them to leave our land so that we can make good use of what God has given us.”
