Agriculture
Ahoada Farmers Lament Herdsmen’s Invasion Of Farmlands
Farmers in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State have raised alarm over the activities of intruders believed to be herdsmen on farms in the area.
In a separate interview with The Tide in Ihuaba Community in Ahoada East, a farmer, Mrs Blessing Chimele said unknown gang suspected to be herdsmen attack farmers and destroy their farm crops on daily basis.
According to her, a farmer, Edith Lawrence, was reported missing in her farm in the community, while several persons were injured and are currently receiving treatment in various clinics and hospitals in the state.
She said farmers in the area now stay at home for fear of being attacked by the herdsmen in the farms.
The farmer, who expressed worry over the prevalent attacks by the suspected herdsmen, blamed the police and the local government council for remaining silent over the incidents despite several protests and reports to the divisional police headquarters at Ahoada and local government council in the area.
Another farmer, Dorathy Ifeanyi, who has over 70 hectares of cassava farm, said the suspected herdsmen, always chased farmers with arrows and daggers while feeding their cows with crops in the farms.
She said each time they tried to chase cows from destroying their farms, the herdsmen from their hide-out would “attack us with arrows and daggers chasing us away to allow their cows feed on our crops”.
Ifeanyi used the opportunity to call on the Rivers State Government and the Security Agencies to come to their aid to save farmers in the area from starvation and being killed by the herdsmen”.
It would be recalled that on May 31, 2018 farmers from Ihuaba Community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State embarked on a peaceful protest to police station, council secretariat and along the East-West Road axis to register their challenges warranted by the activities of the suspected herdsmen in the area.
The protesting farmers alleged that one of their members, Mrs Cawrence Edith was kidnapped while scores of farmers were in hospitals treating various degrees of injuries as a result of attacks by the suspected herdsmen.
While protesting, the farmers “in spite of these attacks, nothing has been done to enable us (farmers) return to our farming business Mrs Ifeanyi said, noting that the setback has disabilised the trend of the economy in the area and made life measurable to the people living in the area.
According to her, the cost of food items and related agricultural products has increased greatly in the area because there is shortage of food supply.
“If nothing is done to removed fear from the farmers in the area the price of food stuffs would increase greatly and this will attack the living standard in the area and the state in general”, Ifeanyi concluded.
Enoch Epelle
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.
