Monarch Tasks Farmers On Maize Production

The Emir of Birnin Gwari, in Kaduna Alhaji Zubair Jibril State, has urged farmers in his domain to resist the temptation to migrate to maize to groundnut production.

The monarch made the call in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja recently.

He said that the call became necessary due to their complaints about the lack of access to fertiliser.

He noted that the area was best known for maize production, admitting that the non-availability of fertiliser was the major reason why farmers were being attracted to groundnut cultivation.

“I am appealing to them because groundnut is a cash crop while maize is both cash and food crop.

“We, in Birnin Gwari are well known for maize production. We are among the major producers of the crop Nigeria,” he said.

He, however, urged the farmers to exercise patience while the state government intensified efforts to source for more fertiliser for them, to ensure bumper harvest.

Alhaji Ladan Abbas, a farmer, told our correspondent that all efforts to get sufficient fertiliser from the state government had not been successful, adding that he had resorted to the use of manure.

“Our major problem is that maize is not like groundnut. It needs adequate fertiliser to get good harvest, while groundnut does not need much of the commodity,” he explained.

Malam Isa Na Inna, another farmer at Sabon Gida, noted that access to  fertiliser had become a herculean task to farmers.

“Even if you go to the market you will not find fertiliser. This is contrary to what used to obtain in the past when you would go with your money and purchase the commodity with ease, ” he observed.

Other farmers who spoke to newsmen on the issue called on the state government to make fertiliser available to farmers to boost food production in the state.