November 7, 2024
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ELECTRICITY OIL & GAS

Nigeria: Dry Season Farmers Suffer Due to Fuel Subsidy Removal

Despite assurances by the federal government that the subsidy removal is for the good of all, many nigerians are faced with its negative consequences. Dry season farmers are not left out as they use fuel-powered water pumps to irrigate their farmlands.

Dry season farming is essential to ensure all year round production, and also contribute to increase in the domestic food production. During this period, farmers need  fuel to power their water pumps. However, since the subsidy removal, farmers have lamented their inability to produce as they have to buy fuel at a very high price.

As gathered by Dailytrust, some if the farmers had this to say.

“Last year we suffered losses due to naira redesign policy by the federal government. This year again, we were faced with the challenge of hike in the price of fuel occasioned by the subsidy removal on the product. When we planted our crops last year in late November, we thought the fuel crisis would end by January this year, but it persisted,” cried one Adamu Salisu Dalibi s dry season farmer in Sabuwar Gwaram community in Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

“When I couldn’t continue to irrigate the crops on a weekly basis as I used to, the farm started drying up just at a stage when the tomato was flowering and the habanero pepper had started fruiting. So, I sold the crops to someone who could afford the expenses.” Dalibi counted.

A similar experience was narrated by one Mubarak Auwal, who has over a decade of experience in farming.

“Things are hard. I can’t afford to expend N10,000 weekly to buy fuel to irrigate my farm. Before the fuel subsidy removal, I was spending barely N4,000 on fuel. When I noticed the crops were drying and shriveling up due to moisture stress, I resolved to sell them to someone who would continue the production because the plants were young at that stage and couldn’t be offered to market for sale. But I’m telling you part of the farmland had already gone before I could sell the remaining crops,” he said.

Kabiru Abdullahi, a dry season farmer in Zaria, has a similar tale to tell.

“One of the major challenges we have is the price of fuel and, of course, groundwater decline. The water is drying up and this amounts to additional cost as you have to increase the fuel you are buying before, just so you can have the water to go round the farm,” he stated.

“Sometimes we will run out of fuel at the middle of work, and we have to harvest some of the crops and sell to be able to have the money to buy fuel to continue with the irrigation,” lamented, one Ashaduma, a family man who uses the proceeds of his farm to provide for his wife and five kids

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