Rising petrol and diesel prices have alarmed farmers throughout Taraba State, who have warned that the situation may compel many of them to give up irrigated farming in the upcoming season and exacerbate worries about food production.
The farmers claimed that the skyrocketing cost of fuel, along with the high cost of labour, fertilisers, and tractor rental services, had made production costs unaffordable for many, making them hesitant to take part in the upcoming irrigation season.
Given that the prices of various agricultural products were still too low to ensure returns on investment, they expressed fear that the scenario would deter hundreds of farmers from growing their fields.
Because irrigation farmers rely on petrol and diesel-powered water pumps to provide their farms with water during the dry season, the problem is especially urgent for them.
Andami clarified that farmers in the local government areas of Karim-Lamido, Lau, and Gassol frequently had to drive great distances in order to get fuel or purchase it from black market dealers who charged significantly higher costs.
According to the large-scale farmer, fuel costs roughly N2,200 per litre, greatly raising the cost of running irrigation pumps, while gasoline sells for between N1,800 and N1,900 per litre in certain isolated farming villages.
He cautioned that many farmers could not be able to participate in this year’s irrigation season due to the increased costs, which could have an impact on the output of rice and other food crops grown during the dry season.
What the farmers identified as an adverse link between production costs and the prices they receive for their output further complicates the situation.
Another large-scale farmer in the Karim-Lamido Local Government district’s Binnare district, Alhaji Haliru Binnare, stated that irrigated farming has grown more capital-intensive, with many farmers finding it difficult to recoup their investments after harvest.
Binnare revealed that during the most recent irrigation season, he spent over N3 million on the production of paddy rice, yet the selling of his yield brought him less than his entire investment.
He stated that he was unsure about going back to the farm this year due to the possibility of another rise in production expenses, adding that many farmers were dealing with similar issues.
You see, a bag of NPK fertiliser now costs N50,000, whilst a tractor servicing hour costs N140,000. This is in addition to other costs,” he stated.
A 100-kilogram bag of paddy rice was selling for between N40,000 and N43,000, he continued, with prices frequently dropping lower during the harvest season.
How can a farmer recover production costs and turn a profit in this scenario? It seems that the administration is not prepared to promote food production in the nation, according to Binnare.
Beyond the direct effects of fuel prices, the farmers’ worries highlight larger issues with Taraba State’s agricultural output, where high input costs and erratic market returns are endangering the sustainability of farming operations.
Zubairu Adamu, a farmer in Lau Local Government Area’s Donada village, claimed that the government did not adequately assist farmers, especially when it came to controlling the cost of agricultural inputs and offering subsidies.
He claimed that in the absence of adequate government support, farmers were mainly left to fund their operations with their own funds, making it more challenging for small-scale producers to stay in business.
Due to variations in profitability, Adamu also noticed that some farmers were switching from food crops to cash crops. He determined that crops with stronger financial possibilities than maize, paddy rice, and cassava were soybeans, melon seeds, and sesame.
He cautioned that the move away from irrigation farming could be accelerated by rising petrol and diesel prices, particularly in light of the reported financial losses many farmers experienced during the previous season.
“Many farmers may not participate in irrigation farming this year due to the increase in petrol and diesel prices, as many were unable to recover their investments during the previous irrigation season,” he stated.
The upcoming irrigation season poses a challenging decision for farmers who currently struggle to strike a balance between growing production expenses and falling or erratic market prices: increasing farming expenditures or preventing additional losses.
The farmers worry that if the issues are not resolved, less people would engage in irrigated farming, which will impact the production of rice and other crops and put further strain on the supply of food and the means of subsistence for farming communities throughout Taraba State.
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