Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have identified poor services and high labour costs as some of the causes for low farm yields and sustainable food security in Nigeria.
They also attributed lack of sustainable agricultural growth to lack of access to inputs, credit facilities, market, modern farm and processing skills.
The stakeholders, including agronomists, farmers, financial experts and government officials, stated this while reacting to the dearth of farm labour in Bauchi, Gombe and Dutse.
Farmers in Bauchi state have groaned over the barriers hindering them from accessing inputs and services.
This is coming after the Federal Government in collaboration with the 36 state governments and development organisations initiated viable agricultural interventions to encourage productivity and achieve food security.
The federal government in March 2025, unveiled the Irrigate Nigeria Project in Bauchi State, the programme is being spearheaded by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
The project aims to boost farmer income by providing access to modern irrigation technologies, inputs and market opportunities through the deployment of centralised irrigation systems, improvdd seeds, fertilisers and technical support to participating farmers.
In Bauchi State, the project is being implemented via Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, designed to enhance efficiency and access to financing to facilitate large scale commercial farming.
Over the years, the federal and state government have implemented series of intervention programmes targetting dry and wet seasons farmers in Bauchi, Gombe and Jigawa.
However, the stakeholders argued that the programmes failed to achieve its objectives as the genuine farmers were not benefitting from it.
A former Chairperson, Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON) in Bauchi State, Ms Marka Abass said that women farmers were not accessing inputs, credit facilities and extension services.
She said the trend made it difficult for women farmers to adapt climate smart farming techniques to boost their production capabilities in spite their contributions to agriculture development.
“Women in agriculture continue to face systemic neglect in policy formulation and budget implementation.
“They are the backbone of rural food production yet they remain marginalised in accessing fertilisers, quality seeds and modern farming tools.
“Without inclusive budgeting and gender sensitive agricultural policies, their productivity will continue to suffer,” she said.
An agronomist, Tabawa Atiku highlighted that allocations for agriculture in Bauchi State, failed to reflect the actual needs of grassroots farmers, especially women.
She stressed the need for timely release of funds, increased investment in extension services, and the establishment of women friendly credit schemes.
“Many farmers could not meet cumbersome requirements for loans. We seek flexible and accessible funding mechanisms to empower rural women.
“Extension services should also be restructured to reach more communities and incorporate digital tools for improved outreach,” Atiku said.
Also, an Agricultural Economist, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, Dr Abubakar Ibrahim decried poor infrastructure, limited access to financing, climate change and outdated farming practices.
He advocated for a coordinated approach towards revitalising the sector, which remains a key driver of employment and food security in the country.
“Smallholder farmers, who constitute the bulk of our producers still lack access to modern tools, markets and financial support.
“To address these challenges several initiatives have been launched by the Nigerian government and international development partners.
“The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has implemented programmes such as the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) and Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP), focusing on technology adoption, extension services and value chain development,” he said.
An agric expert, Dr Aisha Bello highlighted that development partners like the World Bank, USAID, and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have been supporting various agricultural transformation projects in the country.
For instance, the World Bank’s Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) project is helping to boost productivity in some states, while USAID’s Feed the Future initiative is improving food systems and nutrition across Nigeria’s northern belt.
Bello said the impacts of the interventions were dismal due to lack of a holistic and inclusive approach, including policy consistency, private sector engagement and climate-smart practices.
“The gains may be short lived, which calls for greater investment in rural infrastructure, irrigation, and agricultural research to ensure long term sustainability,” she said.
Commenting, Ahmed Aminu decried high cost of farm labour which negatively impacting on the agricultural productivity, especially in rural areas.
He said that exorbitant charges by the labourers was making many farmers to reduce thd size of their farmlands for cultivation and other farming activities.
Aminu, who is a maize grower in Bauchi, said that he relied on ox-plaugh for harrowing or ploughing, which he paid between N40,000 and N50,000 per hectre.
“I also paid between N25,000 and N30,000 for planting and N45,000 for wedding per hectre,” he said, adding that the labourers were taking advantage of lack of tractors and modern tools to exploit farmers.
Also, Lawan Isa, a farmer in Kanya village in Babaura, Jigawa, said the labourers charged between N2,000 and N3,000 per day, depending on the size of the farmland, as against N1,000 in the last three years.
He attributed the hike in the charge to inflationary trend, high cost of essential commodities and transportation.
“The usual time they spend working on a farm is between 7:00 am and 12:00 pm, roughly five hours.”
Ismail Haruna, another farmer in Dutse, said the charge for farm labour ranges between N7,000 and N8,000, per day depending on the size of the farm.
More so, a farmer in Kafin Hausa, Umar Abdullahi said that some of the labourers preferred to be paid in kind, with grain like millet, sorghum, maize and rice.
“Their target is to get the amount of money or its equivalent that will enable them to buy a measure of grain to feed their families,” Abdullahi said.
Meanwhile, the Gombe state government said it has concluded arrangements to distribute fertilisers and inputs to farmers this cropping season.
The State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Ibrahim Bomoi said the federal government would also distribute fertilisers, seeds and chemicals to over 6,000 farmers, to cultivate maize, rice and sorghum.
He said that areas in the state where farmers would be supported had been mapped out and officials would soon be deployed to the field for data capture.
Similarly, the Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House Gombe, Ismaila Uba-Misilli said the state government had been supporting farmers with subsidised fertilisers, seeds and inputs since 2019.
He said the state government planned to begin distribution of the commodities to the farmers in June, and urged farmers to be patient and prepare their farmlands while leveraging information on the NiMet seasonal rainfall prediction.
“Gov. Inuwa Yahaya will soon flag off the sales and distribution of fertilisers and other inputs across the state.
“There is a process of procurement and the state government must go through all these processes and even the company has to produce the fertilisers too before we buy, so it’s a process.
“The governor had been consistent with this kind of support since 2019, and this year will not be an exception,” he said.
The Meteorological Manager, NiMet, Gombe State office, Mr Gayus Musa also urged farmers to leverage on agency’s rain outlook, to prepare their farm activities to avoid losses.
He advised them against early planting and wait until the rainfall fully established (fell thrice in a week) before planting.
According to NiMet predictions, the length of the rainy season is expected to be between 107 and 140 days, with total amount of rainfall between 606 mm in the north (Nafada) and 789 mm in the southern part of the state (Shongom).
The outset of rainfall is expected to commence in the state on May 27, in Shongom and cease by Nov. 3, in Yamaltu/Deba area.
NAN
