Again, Kaduna women farmers decry huge financial loss – Gobroadsheet
//Agriculture: Kaduna//
Cross section of women farmers in Makarfi Local Government of Kaduna State are again expressing worry over uncertain future of farming business in the State, saying foreigners are charting away their farm produce at give away price while the key stakeholders watch.
It would be recalled that Gobroadsheet reported two months ago the agony of ginger farmers where they equally lamented that they were running at loss as a result of lack of price regulation and inadequate farm input.
A Women Leader, Hajia Maimuna Idris raised alarm that, foreigners from neighbouring countries like Niger Republic and Chad are charting away farm harvest from the Northern region at a give way price and exporting same to their countries and regions for little touch and then send back to Nigerian pocket-tearing price.
According to her, farm produce like maize, beans and corn are been loaded into trucks and transport to either directly out of the country or to the southern part of the country, leaving poverty and hunger behind in the region in seasonal basis.
Hajiya Maimuna further said, “the painful aspect of the scenario is that these produce are bought at a give away price from the farmers and some may find their way back to the region and be sold at high prices”.
“Northern region this year’s experienced bumper harvest of some of the above mentioned crops would help food security in the country till the next harvest season if well preserved.
“On my way from kano this morning at a village called ungwan Mallam, I saw nothing less than twelve trucks been loaded with bags of corn, maize and beans, I asked my driver to stop and I made enquires about where the vehicles were heading to and I was told that they were on their way to Agude in Niger Republic.
“A farmer ishaku yahaya told me that a bag of corn is being purchased for as low as N1,200 by these greedy business men. At the dry season the same bag of corn will return back to Nigeria and sell as high as N12, 000. You can see why our people are suffering from hunger”, She lamented.
Hajiya Maimuna then called on the federal and state governments to urgently set up a Marketing Board that will buy farm produce from the farmers and at the same time ensure that there is proper check at Nigeria borders to stop the smuggling of these farm produce out of the country