By Abubakar Sadeeq, Niger
The Etsu Nupe, and Chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar led other traditional and religious leaders as well as Farmers, in Bida emirate to invoke Allah for rain to overcome the current drought that has consumed large hectares of maize, groundnut, rice, Millet and guibeacorn farms.
AgroClimateNews reports that the eight Local Government Areas that form the Emirate are the worst hit with drought this year leading to death of crops including maize that were about to start producing.
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Many farmers said their rice, Millet, guibeacorn, and groundnut were dying due to lack of rain for the past four weeks.
This, according to Etsu Nupe was the reason he called on Muslims to converge at the Eid prayer ground in Esso, Bida, on Thursday to pray to God Almighty to shower abundant rainfall that would lead to bumper harvest in the emirate, Niger and the nation as a whole.
Residents in the emirate have since resorted to special prayers seeking divine intervention from God over the imminent drought due to lack of steady rainfall in the kingdom.
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Speaking shortly after the prayer session, Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar said that the move was to seek for forgiveness and mercy of Almighty Allah.
According to him, Islam teaches the Muslims to repent and seek God’s mercy in the events of any calamity that befalls the society.
In his sermon, the Chief Imam of Bida emirate, Sheikh Adamu Liman-Yakatun listed five reasons why drought and other calamities befall communities, including failure of the people to redeem pledges as well as shoddy deals by marketers and people who provide services, among others.
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Liman-Yakatun noted that crops are in serious need of water to survive, amidst the high cost of food items in the market and security challenges facing the state.
Findings by AgroClimateNews revealed that the imminent drought has left many farmers in the fear of imminent hunger in the year to come.
Farmers said already they have invested hugely using loan facilities in cultivating some of their crops that are now dying.
One of the affected farmers is Salihu Ibrahim, a resident in Lemu, the Headquarters of Gbako Local Government Area of the state.
“I have 3 hectares of rice farm; they have dried up. I have Millet farm, all dying. We don’t know what future will bring but if care is not taking, it is going to be very challenging for us. It’s not easy buying food with the rising cost”, he said.
Lack of access to irrigation facilities to keep the crops even when rain ceases has also worsend the plight of the farmers.
Also sharing his ordeal, Haruna Tswata, a farmer in Mokwa said it would be hard to recover their investment on farming this year.
“We have been told that there is still time for us to plant crops. That’s good news, but the truth is , some of us already spent the resources we have on the farms and with the absence of rain ,most of the crops are nothing to write home about
“I visited my farm few days ago but I don’t want to visit the farm again; the crops are almost gone, unless a miracle happens.
“Even if the rain comes, majority of the people don’t have resources to spend on the farm again”, he lamented.
Our Correspondent reported that despite the large bodies of water in Niger State, irrigation practice is very low due to lack of access to facilities by farmers.
Also retarding the farming activities in the despite huge arable lands is the persistent attacks on farming communities and kidnappings by bandits and terrorists.
Mostly affected by banditry and insurgency in the state are farming communities in Shiroro, Munya, Rafi, Mariga, Mashegu, Paikoro, Rijau, Kontagora and Borgu LGAs.
Dozens of farmers in these LGAs have been displaced while most markets in the area were shut due to attacks.
One of the farmers in Shiroro LGA, Yahaya Dogo said they produce yam, beans, cocoyam, guibeacorn, maize and Millet in commercial before they were displaced.
