Irrigation farming under threat

This year’s dry-season operations are starting slowly because many farmers appear lethargic in engaging in the process due to the current drop in prices of some food items, including rice, maize, and wheat, production costs, inputs, and other related expenses.

During this period in 2023, a large number of farmers left their communities to seek out irrigation land for dry-season production because prices of grains were attractive, Weekend Trust reports.

However, following the recent drop in prices of grains, particularly rice, maize, and wheat, which are the main crops for the dry season (apart from vegetables), farmers lost a significant portion of their investments. Many farmers who spoke to Weekend Trust said they are not encouraged by the current development and will either shun farming this season or do it on a very small scale.

This is even as the Minister of State for Agriculture and Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said recently that the government is implementing a dry-season programme that targets 500,000 hectares of land.

“We are implementing a dry-season initiative for all-year-round farming on 500,000 hectares. The first phase started with a focus on wheat in 15 wheat-producing states. The second phase covers rice, maize, and cassava,” he said.

Nigeria currently uses less than half of the 3.1 million hectares that could be used for irrigated production.

At the moment in Nigeria, the wet season dominates agricultural production, which restricts farmers’ yearly output despite many dams, irrigation sites, and river basins.

Nigeria has a total of 408 dams consisting of 142 large dams, 59 medium dams, and 207 small dams, making it the country with the highest number of dams in Africa, according to the Compendium of Irrigation Schemes in Nigeria.

The country also has 12 river basin development authorities with a potential of 154,000 hectares of irrigable land, but many of these areas will see little activity this season if support is not provided to farmers, Weekend Trust gathered.

Dry-season rice, wheat production

Farmers who produced rice, maize, and wheat last year are currently licking their wounds following the loss of millions of naira due to a sharp drop in grains’ prices hinged on a federal government policy which allowed the importation of sorghum, brown rice, wheat, and maize.

Our correspondents in Kano and Jigawa states reported that many of them are still haunted by their wet-season experiences.

In previous years, this period was marked by activities such as land clearance, input purchases, water channel maintenance, and seed scouting.

This year, however, things seem to be different because a lot of farmers do not appear enthusiastic about returning to the farms.

The revenues from the wet-season crops are typically used by many farmers to finance their dry-season operations. However, Weekend Trust learnt that this time around, commercial farmers are unwilling to do so because of the steep decline in commodity prices.

Alhaji Sani Usman Kutama, a farmer who used to produce over 300 bags of maize annually in the past, stated that he had to sell 80 bags of maize at N25, 000 per 100kg to raise two million naira for the dry-season farming.

“Many people are in a state of quandary because they incurred heavy losses during the wet season. To make matters worse, the price of farm produce keeps going down while the cost of inputs keeps rising. I had to sell 80 bags of maize to raise two million naira. But farming is all we have, and that is why people like me are trying to return to the farm. I can tell you that many farmers will not cultivate their fields this dry season, and you know what that means for the nation’s food security,” he said.

A visit to the Bagwai irrigation site revealed vast stretches of farmland that should have been cultivated already, lying bushy, with no sign of activity. Some areas known for producing onions, tomatoes, and wheat are also yet to be attended to by farmers.

According to Malam Maikano Fayamfayam, many farmers are still counting their losses from the wet season, and returning to the farm for dry-season activities requires careful calculation.

“Even if you want to take part in dry-season farming, where do you get the money? We are only trying to survive with the little we are making from the wet-season harvest. Most of us couldn’t take our produce to the market because of the unfavourable prices. At a time when a bag of fertilizer is going for over N60, 000, how do we finance the dry season?” he asked.

He explained that the current situation in the agriculture sector is pushing many smallholder farmers out of production and weakening what he called the backbone of the nation’s food supply chain.

Alhaji Shehu Bello Garun Malam, a wheat farmer, said that despite Nigeria’s declining wheat production in recent years, the situation may worsen as the crop’s planting calendar begins.

He added that many wheat farmers are sceptical about engaging in the activity this season.

“Many of those who have mobilised to farm are those who have arrangements with seed companies, but individual farmers are still weighing the risks. The bitter truth is that farming has become a risky business, as you will invest your huge resources and fail to recover them. If you go around this area, you will see that even though some of us have planted wheat, many fields remain uncultivated due to fear of the unknown,” he said.

An onion farmer, Malam Abba Musa, said people in his group suffered heavy losses last season.

“The prices of fuel, fertilizer, and seeds have all gone up. Farmers have been facing serious challenges and are farming at a loss. Take, for example, those who produced pepper during the wet season; I am sure you would pity them. We (onion farmers) also had a terrible experience with seeds last year. Honestly, farmers are in a dilemma that needs urgent attention,” he said.

Taraba

In Taraba State, our correspondent said many farmers have abandoned their irrigation farms due to losses. In the past, Weekend Trust gathered that people travelled from other parts of the country to Taraba to engage in dry-season farming.

Mallam Yakubu Adamu, who has been involved in irrigation farming in the Mutum area of Gassol Local Government Area of the state for many years, told our correspondent that he invested over five million naira in his rice farm but only harvested 50 bags of paddy, and the price of paddy rice per bag is now between N18, 000 and N20,000.

Adamu said the situation was further worsened by the fact that rice farmers across Lau, Karim-Lamido, and Gassol Local Government Areas witnessed poor harvests as a result of the early cessation of rainfall.

He stated that farmers in these three local government areas are battling the challenges of poor harvest and poor paddy price.

Rabiu Zailani, a large-scale farmer, told Weekend Trust that he would not embark on irrigation farming this season because of the losses he encountered after harvest.

He said he has been into dry-season farming for the past 20 years, but his last experience was not encouraging.

He lamented the high cost of farm inputs and cost of labour, saying, “It is not going to be possible for farmers to recover their investments if they venture into irrigation farming because of the poor price of farm produce on one hand and the high cost of inputs on the other hand.”

Zailani said the government made a wrong decision by allowing importation, saying instead, it should have considered what he termed a buy-back policy or provided a minimum price template to encourage farmers to continue production.

Engineer Yahaya Mafindi, a farmer in the Sheka area of Gassol Local Government of the state, said irrigation farming this time around amounts to waste of resources.

“The price of farm produce is very low while the cost of farm inputs is very high and the government is not doing anything about that. So, the best thing for farmers is to stay away from farming, and if necessary, one should only produce what he and his family will consume,” he said.

Findings revealed that there is a drop in the number of people who travel to embark on irrigation farming along the River Benue valley in Ardo-Kola, Gassol, Bali, Ibi, and Karim-Lamido Local Government Areas.

Weekend Trust gathered that most of the locals and visitors who troop to the Benue valley during this period annually are no longer being seen around the irrigation fields. It was learnt that only a few people have started planting rice seeds in some irrigation fields in the valley.

Mr. Dauda John, a civil servant, told Weekend Trust that despite the crash, he will not abandon farming because “one has to take risk before succeeding in life.”

Like Taraba, like Kebbi

The situation in Kebbi State is similar to what is happening in Taraba State. Weekend Trust gathered that there is a drop in the number of farmers who have started engaging in dry-season farming activities.

Alhaji Lawali Usman, who is a popular rice farmer at Makera and Dukku Fadama areas of Birnin Kebbi, said many farmers may not participate in this year’s dry-season farming.

“Last year, many farmers had to wait for the wet season to engage in rice farming. They could not do dry-season farming because all the necessary inputs, such as the petrol-propelled pumping machines and other necessary inputs like fertilizer and pesticides were beyond what they could afford,” he said.

Malam Yakubu Ibrahim, who is also a rice farmer in Argungu area of the state, said the drop in price of rice has reduced the patronage from the rice milling companies in the state.

“The rice millers are our strength, but they are no longer willing to buy paddy from us. Last year, we were almost begging them to buy paddy from us. The millers who were coming to meet us at the farms, lobbying us to sell to them during harvest, no longer chase after us; we are the ones taking our harvested rice to lobby them for purchase. I don’t blame them; the drop in price of rice is affecting their sales. They no longer have the desire to buy in large quantities again. We are in a dilemma now; we don’t know where else to take our paddy to,” he said.

A member of the Rice Farmers Association, Sanusi Augie, while speaking to our correspondent, said, “It’s obvious that many of our members may not engage in the dry-season farming because of the prevailing situation. The drop in price of food items, the high cost of farm inputs, coupled with less patronage from the millers, is discouraging.

“The number of farmers going into dry-season farming keeps dropping. Last year, fewer than 30,000 farmers engaged in dry-season rice farming in the state.

“During the period of Anchor Borrowers, some years back, we had over 700,000 farmers engaging in dry-season rice farming. But with the removal of the fuel subsidy and other accompanying factors, not many farmers can cope with the situation. Years back, many farmers in the state preferred to engage in dry-season farming. They cultivated rice three times a year, but today, the story has changed. Government efforts in the provision of motorised power tillers, CNG and solar irrigation pumps, and fertilizers to encourage farmers’ participation in dry-season farming have not changed the situation. More so, many of our members who were actively farming in the state can no longer do so because of the attacks by bandits and members of the Lakurawa terror group,” he said.

Niger too

Weekend Trust gathered that the situation is the same in Niger State as farmers lament that the venture is no longer profitable due to falling prices of farm produce.

Alhaji Mahmud Bala Egge, Secretary of the All Farmers Association in Wushishi Local Government Area of the state, told our correspondent that only a few of the farmers who engaged in the practice last year are doing so this year.

“As I speak with you, next week I will start transplanting rice. It is 15 days since I did the nursery beds. Because of the fall in the price of farm produce, I am only cultivating one hectare of land this year instead of 15 hectares that I did last year. Last year, I cultivated 15 hectares during the irrigation season, but this year, I have reduced it to just one hectare, which I can easily manage.

“First, prices of farm produce have dropped seriously. We are buying farm inputs, especially fertilizer, at a high cost, and prices of farm produce have continued to fall. So, we are at a loss.

“Secondly, there was a shortage of rainfall this year, and it has affected the water bodies we always rely on for irrigation farming. Farmers would find it difficult to water their plants this dry season.

“Thirdly, the issue of insecurity has contributed significantly,” he said.

He added, “There is no way farmers can buy inputs that are of high cost with the current prices of farm produce. As I speak with you, Urea is N45,000 per bag. The government should buy and sell to us at N20,000, and it should be accessible to real farmers. Many of us will go back to the farm. Right now, a bag of paddy is N23,000 in some markets. So, if you buy Urea at the cost of N45,000 and NPK at the cost of N50,000, it won’t work that way.

“Last year, the Niger State government, through Niger Foods, gave us farm inputs as loans. I was a cluster leader for Mailema Farmers Association. I controlled 115 hectares of rice farm through Niger Foods, and we paid back the loan successfully. They bought the rice from us at good prices. If the government can do that, I assure you that farmers would be happy. However, whatever support from the government must go directly to the real farmers, not those who would collect and resell,” he said.

In Lavun LGA, another farmer, Aliyu Mohammed, told Weekend Trust that most farmers have shown little interest in irrigation farming this year.

“By this time last year, many farmers had gone far with planting, but many people have not started this year due to two major reasons. The water body we use every year has almost dried up because of the lack of rain this year. The second issue is the drop in the prices of farm produce. Many of us are afraid of investing in irrigation farming because the practice is capital-intensive, and with the current prices of farm produce, you will hardly get back your investment.

“This year, a bag of paddy is sold for N24,000 and N25,000. Many farmers did not get back what they invested during the rainy-season farming because of the high cost of fertilizer and low prices of farm produce. If prices of farm inputs do not drop, it will affect farming, especially rice,” he explained.

Similarly, in Katcha LGA, a major rice-producing area in Niger State, Weekend Trust gathered that most of the visiting farmers from Sokoto, Kebbi, and other North West and North East states, who usually arrive early for irrigation farming, have yet to come this year.

“I just came back from my farm. Though the majority are discouraged with the current situation, those of us who use solar-powered water pumping machines still find it easier than those who still use petrol-powered water pumping machines because of the cost of fuel.

“Though I have planted my rice, I am afraid of sustaining the farming because of the cost of fertilizer. We are feeling the pain because the price of rice has continued to fall. Sincerely speaking, many farmers have not shown interest in irrigation farming this year. Last year, at this time, almost all the farmlands had been cultivated. But this year, many farmlands have been left uncultivated. Even some farmers who usually come from Kebbi, Sokoto, and other states to do irrigation farming here have not come this year, which is quite surprising,” he said.

In Gbako LGA, another farmer, Tauheed Dwale, told Weekend Trust that he has not decided on whether to cultivate or not.

“Irrigation farming is capital-intensive because you need to apply fertilizer between three and four times. Aside from the cost of fertilizer, you need to pay for labour and also buy chemicals. Last dry season and rainy season, we lost our investments. Personally, I cannot engage in irrigation farming this year,” he said.

Farmers in Kwara battle insecurity

Some farmers in Kwara State said the insecurity and rising input costs threaten the entire agricultural cycle. The National Vice President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Ajibola Olawale Tajudeen, said the conditions on the ground make the dry-season plan almost unrealistic.

Tajudeen described insecurity as the single most crippling factor, insisting that though price drop is an issue, they are more concerned about their safety on the farms.

“Let us forget about the price drop on food products. When it comes down, can our farmers get to their farms? And why is the price even coming down? It is not because there is a surplus; it is because most of our people cannot stay on their farms,” he said.

According to him, many farmers harvest and rush their produce to the market immediately because they cannot store anything safely.

“The feasibility of this dry-season farming is not encouraging. The probability is not even one in one. It might be zero because there is no encouragement. Who will secure the farmers to farm?” he asked.

He added that the situation will be worse when the fields open up in the dry months.

“Going to the farm now is very risky, especially here in Kwara, because that is when one is easily exposed, unlike during the rainy season,” he said.

On concerns over falling food prices, Tajudeen noted that farmers have no choice but to accept price fluctuations as part of their work.

“When there is a price increase, the farmers enjoy it. When there is a price decrease, the farmer will equally bear it. We have to bear it because we do not have any other job apart from farming,” he said.

He, however, stressed that prices will rise again due to poor storage and early depletion of available produce.

“I can tell you now, the price of tomatoes is coming up gradually. When we consume all that we produce and there is no storage, definitely the price will start going up,” he said.

Tajudeen said the government must first guarantee the safety of farmers before expecting any meaningful cultivation.

“The government should guarantee the lives of the farmers first. We do not have guns. We do not have drones. When the situation is calm, the farmer will start moving to the farm. But for now, I cannot guarantee that,” he said.

Another respondent, Alhaji Mukaila Salaudeen, said many farmers are just completing their harvests and making plans for the wheat dry-season farming cycle.

He admitted that price crashes have discouraged many rain-season farmers from expanding operations.

“We have lost a lot because of the crash in price. But those of us who are real farmers manage to do very little. We do not do as much as before. Despite the crash, we still do something because we cannot sit at home,” the former AFAN secretary said.

Salaudeen said insecurity is forcing farmers in vulnerable locations to reconsider their plans.

“The insecurity is giving us a lot of concern. Areas like Tsonga and some Nupe areas used to engage in a lot of dry-season farming. But this year, I doubt it. Some of them do not know what to do, and we do not know what will happen except the government does something about it,” he said.

Another farmer, Alhassan Mohammed, said farmers who have started preparation are doing so with fear and uncertainty.

“A lot of people have started preparation, coupled with some fears. The price of rice now is not encouraging, and the input cost is getting higher daily. There has not been any subsidy or government intervention.

“Another issue is that the flood that happened last time was during the dry-season period. Many farmers are sceptical that if such a thing is not prevented now, what if it happens again?

“People are complaining that during the rainy season, the production cost was not that much. But now we use petrol to pump water, and not everybody can afford solar. So, coupled with the price of petrol and fertiliser, everybody is being skeptical,” he said.

Mohammed said farmers are strengthening local vigilante arrangements while hoping that recent government actions will calm the security situation.

“We had a meeting today that if we notice any illegal movement or anyone who is not a registered member, we raise the alarm. We have to make sure the government is part of it. We are just praying for everything to be under control,” he said.

Farmers in Plateau, Benue worry too

In Plateau, many farmers usually grow vegetables like onions, tomatoes, green pepper, cabbage, among other crops like wheat during dry-season.

A farmer from Angware in Jos East, Samuel Izang, said he planted wheat about three years ago but stopped after recording losses.

“When you produce it in large quantity, it is difficult to get anyone to take it from you at a good price; that is a real problem.

“The one I did, I had to push for the Jos East Local Government to uptake from me to share to their farmers. That was how I was able to sell it; if not, I would have been in a dilemma,” he said.

Similarly, a wheat farmer in Jos, Ene Ameh, said that due to the losses she sustained, she has decided not to do it again.

The farmer stated that their biggest challenges remain access to fertilizer, insecticide, and procurement of fuel to power the irrigation machine that would be pumping water from the dam into their farms.

According to him, they procure one gallon of fuel for N5, 000, and he uses two gallons each time.

Commenting, the Chairman, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, Plateau State chapter, Binkur L. Binkur, said though the Plateau State weather is favourable for irrigation farming, doing it twice a year, the cost of production is too high.

In Benue, our correspondent said farmers who engage in dry-season cultivation are planning to reduce production following concerns over the crash in food prices unless the government assists them with inputs.

Situation bad for farmers – Experts

An Agric Economist in Kebbi State, Abubakar Saidu, said for the better part of this year, many farmers in Danko Wasagu, Dandi, Augie, Bunza, and Arewa Local Government Areas of Kebbi State have not had full access to their farms.

“In some communities, farmers have to pay taxes to bandits and members of the Lakurawa group to cultivate and harvest their crops.

“The situation has become so bad for farmers in the state and it portends negative tendencies for the availability of food. I think there is a need for quick intervention because the farmers need to return to their farms, if the prevailing situation must change,” he said.

Another agricultural expert with the Kura Local Government Area Agriculture Department, Malam Barau Shehu, said the situation has worsened due to the absence or inefficiency of government intervention programmes that were once effective under previous administrations.

According to him, earlier interventions provided significant relief to farmers despite their limitations.

“Under previous governments, there were agricultural programmes such as the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) and the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP). These helped farmers access subsidised inputs, credit facilities, and mechanisation services. Although these initiatives had shortcomings, they still offered crucial support that boosted productivity and sustained rural livelihoods.

“Unfortunately, current intervention mechanisms appear limited in both scale and impact. While some development projects like the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) have done a lot to transform the sector, this is a project that will eventually end, and sustainability remains a major concern,” he said.

He added that many farmers reported receiving little to no support during this year’s wet season despite rising production costs and climate-induced losses. He warned that without decisive and immediate action, the nation’s food supply may deteriorate further as more farmers may be unable to take part in dry-season farming.

Dr. Teryima Iorlamen, an Agronomist and Seed Systems Specialist, with the Joseph Sarwaun Tarka University (JOSTUM), formerly Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, said farmers should not be discouraged because there are better days ahead.

Iorlamen, who works with dry season farmers to boost food production, however, called on the government to act.

“One of the reasons farmers lamented the price crash was the high cost of inputs. A bag of fertiliser that we previously bought for N15,000 went up to N55,000 this year, and one needs about six bags per hectare. When multiplied by the size of the farm, the cost becomes high, over N250,000 for a hectare. Meanwhile, the price of rice is N40,000, which means a bag of rice is now cheaper than a bag of fertiliser. How many bags will a farmer have to sell to recover costs? It was because of these expenses that we cried out over the price crash and asked the government to intervene by subsidising inputs so that farmers won’t be discouraged,” he said.

Iorlamen suggested ways out of the woods to the Benue State government, “I would like to suggest that the government considers giving incentives directly to farmers instead of subsidies. For instance, if the market price for a bag of rice is N40, 000, why can’t the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) buy rice at N60,000 or even N70,000 so that farmers will be encouraged?

“This is because, in some cases, even when the government buys inputs and gives them to farmers, some beneficiaries sell them off. The real farmers, not middlemen, should benefit from government interventions. Let the government meet us at the farm gate. If this idea is utilised, it will encourage farmers to boost production. Let BIPC establish collection centres in all local government areas and buy produce directly from genuine farmers,” the agric expert posited.

FG targets 500,000 hectares for dry season farming

The Minister State for Agriculture and Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the government is implementing a dry season programme that targets 500,000 hectares of land

“We are implementing a dry season initiative for all-year-round farming on 500,000 hectares. The first phase started with a focus on wheat in 15 wheat-producing states. The second phase covers rice, maize and cassava,” he said.

However, Dr. Sabi stated that not all farmers could be supported by the government.

Two weeks ago, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, stated that the federal government was aiming for an output value of almost N160 billion from wheat production for the dry season of 2025–2026.

Sen Kyari said the ministry, through the NAGS-AP Programme, has earmarked 40,000 hectares of land for 2025/2026 dry season wheat production and registered 80,000 farmers, with an expected output value of approximately N160 billion.

The minister stated that “under the 2023/2024 dry season wheat production programme, a total of 107,429 registered farmers were supported with critical subsidised inputs, resulting in an output valued at N474,628,000 billion.  He added that during the 2024/2025 dry season, 279,297 registered farmers received support, with an output valued at N893,750,004 billion.

He said the federal government support will cover 16 states of the federation, which include; Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.

However, many farmers have complained over the years about not receiving help alleging that middlemen hijacked the process, leaving millions of them unsupported.

By Vincent A. Yusuf (Abuja), Musa Giginyu (Kano), Magaji lsa Hunkuyi (Jalingo), Abubakar Akote (Minna), Hope Abah (Makurdi),  Ismail Adebayo (Birnin Kebbi), Mumini Abdulkareem (Ilorin)  & Dickson S. Adama (Jos)

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