Water pumping machine theft, high fuel, input costs worry farmers

Theft of water pumping machines, high costs of fuel and inputs are increasing the worries of dry season farmers in Taraba State.

Findings revealed that many farmers across irrigation fields have lost their water-pumping machines to thieves, a development that is negatively affecting farming activities.

Musa Adamu told the Daily Trust that his solar-powered water pumping machine was stolen at night on his farm by criminals who are stealing such machines and other items on farms.

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He said the thieves, mostly youths, carried out their criminal activities at night and as a result, farmers now engage the services of vigilantes and security people to guard their farms.

Another farmer, Dauda Lawal, said he had a field day with a group of four criminals that invaded his farm at about 3am three days ago.

According to him, the gang went to steal his solar water pump and fertiliser and he raised an alarm that attracted other farmers who helped him to chase them away.

Further findings revealed that dry-season farmers now sleep on their farms to guard their farm implements.

Ibrahim Sule, a large-scale farmer, told the Daily Trust that theft of farm implements is a new trend and that apart from the implements, like water pumping machines, thieves are targeting mature crops to harvest.

He said last year, cases of theft of paddy rice in farms were recorded in dry season farms in Lau, Karim-Lamido and Gassol LGAs.

“Stealing farm implements and crops in dry season farms is a new trend, and the perpetrators are mostly youths within the areas the farms are located,” he said.

Engineer Yahaya Mafindi, a large-scale farmer who has been conducting dry season farming for the past 10 years in the Sheka area in Gassol LGA, said there are many factors discouraging people from engaging in dry season farming.

He said the high cost of fuel and farm implements like water pumping machines, pesticides and fertiliser have discouraged many people from dry season farming this year.

He said last year, a litre of petrol was sold at N400 but this year the price has gone up to N1,600 at irrigation fields located in remote areas of the state.

He said the price of solar water pumping machines has also tripled this year.

“Labourers are charging high and, apart from the high price of farm implements, farmers have to sleep in their farms or provide guards because of the cases of theft of farm implements, particularly water pumping machines,” he said.

He said the cost of transportation is also high and farmers are not getting incentives from the Taraba State government.

“Dry season farmers buy everything, including seeds, pesticides, fertiliser, and water pumps, among other working tools. The government does not assist farmers, therefore, the price of paddy rice will be high this year; because of the high cost of production,” he said.

Hundreds of people who came into the state from other states for dry season farming have complained about the high charges by landowners.

Some of the farmers told Daily Trust that they are paying over N300,000 for a piece of land to farm for one season.

Adamu Salihu, who came from Kaduna State to farm at Karim- Lamido said he paid N200,000 for the land on which he planted rice.

The Daily Trust findings revealed that landowners are cashing in on the influx of farmers to charge high for renting out farms to farmers from outside the state.