Groundnut production profitable now – Plateau farmers

Farmers in Jingir town of Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State have explained why they are gradually returning to groundnuts farming after years of abandoning it.

The farmers told Daily Trust that low price in the past was a major factor that discouraged farmers from going into groundnut cultivation.

In the 1960s, groundnut pyramids were built in northern Nigerian cities such as Kano, where groundnut production was a major contributor to the economy.

However, as groundnut production declined in the 1970s and 80s, the groundnut pyramids disappeared and Nigeria’s economy shifted attention to crude oil.

Farmers in Jingir said groundnut production declined in the past because of certain factors, but huge potential is now motivating them to return to the cultivation of groundnut.

Hamza Amadu, a groundnut farmer, corroborated his colleagues by saying that “Before now, farmers abandoned groundnut cultivation because it wasn’t lucrative. But today, they are gradually returning to it. This is because the few people that remained in the business are getting good money. The high cost of fertilizer, which prevented many people from going into maize farming pushed them to return to groundnut cultivation which doesn’t require fertilizer or much resources.”

Another farmer, Daniel Emose, said “Groundnut cultivation is profitable now. Before now, it was abandoned because it wasn’t profitable but today, many are venturing into it due to the money that they are making from it. You don’t spend much to cultivate it, and if you are lucky, you harvest much.”

Mika Assabaru, a farmer, said “Groundnut cultivation is profitable because groundnut farmers live averagely. During the early harvest, we sold a 50kg for N20,000 even though the price has come down now. No matter the situation, groundnut farmers hardly lose.”

The farmers hope that agriculture will be given appropriate attention, so that the country could return to the era of groundnut pyramids of the 1960s.