Some farmers in Manchok community of Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, said they had lost crops worth millions of naira after herdsmen allegedly ravaged their farmlands.
The farmers, who cried out for help, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Manchok on Friday, that the sad development has predisposed them to hunger.
One of them, Mrs Martina David, a mother of four, said she invested nearly 1.3 million naira in the cultivation of sweet potatoes only to lose the investment within two days after the farm was allegedly destroyed by herders.
Looking visibly shaken and distraught, she said that the amount she spent on cultivating the crop was a loan facility she collected because of the potential for high return in investment.
She explained that she planted potatoes on 188 ridges on nearly four hectares of land and expected to harvest at least 752 bags at three to four bags per ridge.
She estimated the return on investment to yield 12.78 million naira at the current price of between 17,000 and 20,000 naira per bag.
“Sadly, my hope was dashed when I visited my farm and discovered that more than half of it was destroyed by cattle.
“In tears I fell on my knees and cried, wondering how I would get out of the predicament.
“I pulled myself together, wiped my tears, and created some barriers to protect what was left.
“To my surprise, when I returned the following day, the entire potato plants had been wiped out by cattle. I didn’t get a thing from my investment,” she said.
Mrs David appealed for help, saying: “I don’t know how I will repay the loan I collected because my husband, also a farmer, is ill and could not cultivate anything this year.”
Another victim, Mr Ibrahim Yashim, said he planted guinea corn on four hectares of land only for the three portions of the farm to be invaded and destroyed by cattle.
Yashim, a primary school teacher, told NAN that he invested about 730,000 naira on the farm, through cultivation, inputs, and labour.
He said that he was expecting to harvest at least 40 bags of guinea corn at 10 bags per hectare.
He added that his return on investment would have amounted to more than 4.8 million naira at the current market price of between 110,000 and 120,000 naira per bag.
“But I can tell you that at the moment, only about a hectare is left.
“The remaining three hectares were destroyed by herders.
“I got home from work and my aged mother asked me to go and check the farm because someone informed her that he saw cows entering my farm.
“On getting there, I was horrified by what I saw. About half of the crops were destroyed by cattle.
“I just sat down on the ground because my legs couldn’t hold me up,” he said.
He said he complained to the leader of the Fulani settlers in Manchok, Mr Salisu Ibrahim, popularly called Ardo (leader in Fulani language).
“Unfortunately for me, the Ardo said there was nothing he could do about it unless the culprit is caught. And the culprit has continued to invade the farm until the cattle grazed about three hectares of the farm,” he said.
Reacting, Mr La’ah Philemon, National Leader of the Youth Wing of the Moro’a Development Association, told NAN that so far, about 39 farms have been destroyed allegedly by herders in the area.
Philemon, who expressed concern over what he described as a “looming hunger” in Moro’a land, called for the ban on open grazing during the rainy season.
“This will go a long way in ending the wanton destruction of crops and promoting peace between farmers and herders.
He particularly said that most of the victims were in a dilemma, noting that with the rainy season almost over, replanting of the same crops is impossible.
He said the continued destruction of crops by herders had escalated to the level of confrontation between farmers and herders.
According to him, one of such confrontations has left one of the farmers dead with three others escaping with injuries.
The youth leader, therefore, called on government at all levels and other relevant organisations to come to the aid of the victims to enable them to feed their families and survive the current economic hardship in the country.
Confirming the incidents, the District Head of Manchok, Mr Ishaya Tabat, said the traditional council had intervened in the matter toward finding a sustainable solution.
Tabat noted that several meetings have been held with the leaders of the Fulani community and herders in the area, saying that the herders agreed to compensate the famers.
When contacted, the Ardo acknowledged that the dialogue between the Fulani and the community leaders has been fruitful.
He assured the farmers that the compensation would be paid very soon.
On efforts to prevent reoccurrence of the incidents, the leader said that most of the perpetrators of the acts were herders who came into the community from different locations.
He added that with the help of security agencies, such visiting herders have been asked to return to where they came from.
He pledged continued support to the peace building efforts in the area.
