As the wet season farming begins in earnest, high cost of seeds and inputs are the major concerns of smallholder farmers in Katsina State.
At the initial stage of the season, farmers procure the seeds of crops of their choice; herbicides, pesticides, fertilizer, just as they ensure they secure the money to cover the takeoff activities such as harrowing, ridging and planting on their farms.
The high inflation rate that affected prices of food items in general is also reflecting on assorted seeds and other farm inputs, a development that poses serious threat to farmers and food production.
According to the farmers, seeds of maize, sorghum, soybeans, are sold for at least N2,000 per measure (tiya).
Yusuf Almu, a farmer in Faskari Local Government Area, said he spent over N80,000 on sorghum and soybeans alone.
“I just bought sorghum and soybean seeds from the market at the rate of N2,000 and N2,300 per measure respectively. I bought 20 measures of each of the crops and in all, I spent N86,000. What is left now is for me to raise money to buy another 10 measures of maize seeds at N2,600 per measure,” he said.
He said besides seeds, he needs other inputs like herbicides and NPK fertiliser for the production to take off on his farm.
On why they were not sourcing their seeds from agric institutes or seed companies, Yusuf Almu said: “If the cost of seeds is so high in the open markets, how do you expect a smallholder farmer to go for new, improved seeds? Such improved seeds from IAR and SeedCo are exclusive reserves for the elite and large-scale farmers due to high cost.”
Almu added that he also saw improved maize seed from SeedCo sold at N84,000 per 25kg, which was about 10 measures.
“It is not that we don’t like or value new seeds, but the fact remains that most small-scale farmers cannot afford it now, considering the economic situation of the country,” he said.
Abdulmalik Safwan, a farmer from Sabuwa LGA, said timely intervention by the government in the provision of seeds and other inputs directly to farmers would assuage the suffering of the farmers and boost food production.
“We all know how Nigerians are battling with the high cost of living, and there is no better way for the government to intervene than through agriculture. Sadly, till this moment, farmers are struggling to cultivate their farms without any support from the government,” he said.
He called on both the federal and state governaments to always make their interventions timely and directly to the real farmers for meaningful impact on the food and general well-being of Nigerians.
Safwan further said farmers were faced with the challenge of devising ways to produce food crops, otherwise, “they too would die of hunger”.
“Many have no choice, but to lease out part of their farms to raise some capital for production. We cannot afford the disaster that lies ahead if we fail to produce food crops in this season, considering how banditry has hampered the cultivation of large farms in remote areas of over eight LGAs of the state.”
When our correspondent went round some parts of the state, it was observed that delayed rainfall – from the month of May to early June – slowed down the takeoff activities till late June. Farmers were seen en masse working on their farms in Malumfashi, Kafur, Danja and Funtua LGAs.
In Taraba State, Weekend Trust gathered that farmers are adopting traditional methods of sourcing seeds due to the high cost of the indispensable input.
Findings revealed that most of the farmers select seeds from crops they harvested from their farms instead of buying seeds produced by companies, because of the high cost.
Seeds sourced through traditional methods include, groundnut, maize, rice cowpea, melon, sesame, yam and cassava.
It was learnt that the process of sourcing seeds began immediately after the harvest and farmers selected the best of the grains and stored them separately for cropping.
Malam Ibrahim Chindo, a large-scale farmer, said he usually selects his seeds immediately after harvest and that he has been doing that for many years.
He said selecting seeds during harvest has been a culture among farmers for years.
“I plant five bags of paddy rice and four bags of maize on my farms and l don’t buy that amount of seeds from agric companies because the cost will be too high. That is why l select the seeds from the produce I get from my farms,” he said.
Another farmer, Yakubu Yahuza, also told Weekend Trust, that he gets his seeds from whatever he harvests from his farm.
He said annually, he produces a large quantity of maize, soya beans, and rice and he selects seeds from the crops he harvests from his farm.
Yahuza stated further that even the traditional seeds are very costly now, adding that farmers are spending too much to cultivate crops.
He said a bag of SF rice seed, which is the desire of many farmers is very costly, noting that a 100-kg bag of paddy rice is sold at the rate of N80,000.
He said most seeds from agricultural companies come in small kilogramme packs and large-scale farmers do not buy such seeds as they need large quantities to plant on their farms.
A seed leader in Jalingo, Dauda Maiiri, told Weekend Trust that farmers were not buying seeds produced by seed companies as they used to in previous years.
He stated further that the increasing cost of farm produce was responsible for the high cost of seeds, adding that farmers now buy only small quantities.
However, he said despite the cost, it is important for farmers to buy improved seeds in order to get good yields.
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