Farmers say they have abandoned their fields for fear of being kidnapped or killed by rampaging criminals.Abuja farmers lament impact of insecurity, herders’ attacks
The emergence of insecurity in different forms has become a major threat to Nigeria’s food security in recent months.
Many farmers in rural Abuja communities and across the different regions of the country have been deprived of access to their farmlands for fear of either being kidnapped for ransom, or being attacked or killed by herders.
“Insecurity has affected my farming activities badly,” said Esonu Udeala, who farms orange-fleshed sweet potato along Kubwa Road in Abuja.
Mr Udeala, 58, lamented that herdsmen’s invasion of farms has affected his farming activities seriously and that he could not commence farming early this year.
“I had to wait until everybody else was planting before I could do my best to avoid my farm being attracted to cows,” he said.
The farmer who has been into active cultivation for 13 years, said the delay he witnessed this year would mean he can only expect harvest by August, because he started planting around June 5. Last year he started harvesting around July
“However, this particular farm was eaten up by cows on 2nd December right in my presence. An attempt to stop them was about to cause serious problems when we let them eat up the farm. That made me not to farm in an open place again,” he said.
Angered by how things turned out for him last year after the invasion of his farm by cattle, he said he had to move to Nasarawa State, where he leased a fenced four hectares land he is trying to work on.
“Farming under a state of insecurity is costlier than other times. Now I have to rent land at N50,000 per hectare. This calls for support as every other factor of production has gone up,” he lamented, adding that these experiences have caused huge setbacks to his farming activities this year.
He said this has reduced their output significantly but remained the best option for them to safeguard their lives.
“It reduced our output last year coupled with Covid-19 pandemic. This we are doing the same to save our lives. This year we are battling with the climate change problem,” Mr Okafor said.
Asked if he can take this reporter to the farm he abandoned at Kuje, he said our reporter must sign a written agreement before he will embark on such a trip if anything happens on the way.
“In the agreement, you should state that you will be taking complete care of my family if anything happens to me,” he added.
In Sofo Toge community, along the Airport Road, Festus Chukwu, who grows vegetables and potatoes in commercial quantities to feed his family, told PREMIUM TIMES that they have not experienced any form of kidnappings due to the presence of security men along the axis of his farm, but that his business has “been hit by the invasion of cattle herders” in recent months.....
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