Taraba Farmers Fear Rising Fuel Prices Could Force Them Out of Farming

(Taraba farmers. Photo by the News Chronicle)
Farmers in Taraba State say rising petrol and diesel prices could push many of them out of irrigation farming in the coming season.

They also point to high costs for fertiliser, tractor hire and labour, which they say have made production too expensive for many.

Tanko Bobbo Andami, state chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), said farmers in Karim-Lamido, Lau and Gassol often travel far to buy fuel, or pay black market prices.

He said petrol sells for between N1,800 and N1,900 per litre in some remote communities, and diesel for about N2,200.

Alhaji Haliru Binnare, a large scale farmer in Karim-Lamido, said he spent more than N3 million on paddy rice last season but earned less than his investment.

He said an NPK fertiliser bag now costs N50,000 and an hour of tractor service costs N140,000.

A 100 kilogram bag of paddy rice sells for between N40,000 and N43,000, and prices often fall further at harvest.

Zubairu Adamu, a farmer in Lau, said the government is not doing enough to regulate input prices or provide subsidies.

He said some farmers are switching to soybeans, melon seeds and sesame, which pay better than maize, paddy rice and cassava.

The farmers warn that less irrigation farming could cut rice and other crop output, putting more pressure on food supplies and farming families across the state.