Irish potato farming in Hunkuyi LGA of Kaduna State is gradually declining while farmers in Bakori LGA of Katsina State are fast taking over from them.
Hunkuyi, a household name in irrigation farming of assorted crops is known to have been in Irish potato production for over 40 years.
Adamu Halliru Hunkuyi, an Irish potato farmer, said the major setback for potato production in their area was that the soil seemed exhausted.
He said, “When you consistently produce a certain crop in an area, the soil tends to be exhausted. For over 40 years we have been producing potato here and our soil is largely clay, while the crop requires loamy soil; that is one advantage Bakori farmers in Katsina State have over us. Bakori farms give more yield and qualitative produce than us; hence potato merchants are now tilting to their side.”
Halliru added that at best a bag of seedlings would give them 13 bags, everything being equal; but that because the farmlands in Bakori were virgin, the same bag of seedlings could yield 20 bags.
He further said, “10 years ago we were the ones that taught them the skills and processes of Irish potato production. Our people travelled to Bakori to work on farms at every stage of the crop’s development.”
Another farmer in Hunkuyi, Idris Basiru, attributed the major problem of potato production this year to the high cost of fuel and fertiliser.
He said, “We are spending a lot on petrol to fuel our water pump machines, and many of us could not afford to apply adequate fertiliser; that is why the yield is low.”
He added that farmers in the area bought a 100kg bag of seedlings for N70,000, N80,000 and N90,000 for Carisco, Diamond and Malabil varieties respectively.
He said, “Those that planted early were opportune to sell a bag of the produce for N80,000, but now, coupled with the shortage of cash in the country, we are selling a bag for not more than N30,000.”
When this reporter visited Gwamutsawa and Kanawa villages in Bakori LGA of Katsina State, potato production was at its peak with farmers carrying out different activities on their farms ranging from weeding, fertiliser application, watering to harvesting.
Abdurrashid Yunusa, a farmer, said he was among the pioneers of potato production in the area.
He said, “10 years ago I started cultivating Irish potato. I learned everything from Hunkuyi. Some farmers here followed suit the subsequent years after seeing the outcomes from me. Today we have numerous successful potato farmers here that produce in commercial quantities every year.”
Yunusa added that Bakori was fast becoming a potato hub in the North West as buyers came from Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, Jos and Niger Republic to buy the produce every Monday from the month of December.
Fwangkat Ezekiel, a potato merchant in Jos, Plateau State, said they transported the produce from Bakori to Abuja and Nasarawa State.
He said, “Because of its size and quality, Bakori potato is demanded in Abuja and Nasarawa at handsome prices. We started buying it for N70,000 from the farmers a month ago. It later came down to N60,000, and now because of the cash imbroglio occasioned by the recent currency swap, we are buying it for N30,000.”
Ezekiel added that most of the farmers in Bakori were sourcing their seeds from Plateau State where the produce was largely produced during the wet season.
Another merchant from Plateau State, Yakubu Dogo, extolled the prospect of Bakori in Irish potato production, saying that what the farmers needed was support from the government.
He said, “There is vast land here, and lucky enough loamy soil, which is suitable for Irish potato farming. Another important thing of note is that the farmers are using river water in their production.
“Imagine that the government has put in place a reliable irrigation dam or boreholes to sustain the farmers all year round. High cost of seeds and fertiliser can also be mitigated through government intervention to propel the farmers and boost revenue base.”
He added that the entire Southern part of Katsina State had potential in potato production.
He said, “If not for lack of adequate land and water sources, the Funtua area, because of its cold temperature at this winter period, would have been a fertile area for Irish potato farming.”
Amadu Mato Jogana, an Irish potato dealer in the Yan’kaba Market in Kano State, said the recent naira policy had seriously affected potato business.
He said, “Because buyers are lacking cash at hand we are now selling a basket of the produce for not more than N2,000 instead of the N6,000 it was sold in late December. This has brought down the price of the produce from N70,000 per bag to N30,000.”
He added that because most farmers had no bank accounts, payment for the produce on the farms had become worrisome.
He further said, “Farmers here are demanding for cash to settle the labourers and brokers. Those that are willing to accept bank transfers have no bank accounts. Therefore, we have to transfer their money through their union’s officials to help us cash it and distribute it to the farmers.”
The Sarkin Dankali (chief of potato farmers) in Bakori, Alhaji Nafi’u Idris, said his members had suffered the high cost of fuel and fertiliser this season.
He said, “We are buying a litre of petrol for N360, and this has been a burden on us as an average farmer requires five to 10 gallons of petrol to pump water to his farms every week in the three-month lifespan of Irish potato. Same goes for fertiliser which is necessary in the production. A bag of NPK was sold for N27,000 and Urea was N23,500. Many farmers here did their production on credit while some converted the proceeds of their wet season farming in the production of potatoes and now the price has crashed.”
Nafi’u Idris added that it was worrisome that farmers were left to their own devices in sourcing seedlings and fertiliser. In order to boost its production, he said the government needed to look on the side of Irish potato farmers in Katsina State.
