Form Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, (AFAN), in Benue State, Aondongu Saaku, has said that the activities of armed herdsmen has continued to impede adequate food production in the state.
Saaku also said that Benue farmers are worst hit during the dry season as the influx of herdsmen militia often reduce access to land in communities by the river banks meant for irrigation farming.
Saaku said each year, the farmers in the state suffer loss as over 500 hectares of land along riverine areas were been abandoned by farmers and remain uncultivated.
The AFAN chairman, who spoke to our correspondent at the weekend, explained that insecurity occasioned by invasion of herdsmen has stalled some of the programs of farmers in the rural communities across the state.
While stating that farming activities pick up during raining season in the state, Saaku noted that Benue farmers suffer most during irrigation farming season which is between October and March.
He lamented that some of the tools for irrigation farming supplied by federal government to the state were unused due to insecurity.
“Insecurity is the major bane of irrigation farming in Benue State. Most times when you prepare the lands at the river banks, the presence of armed herdsmen made it impossible for you to continue.
“Most of the communities around the river banks of River Benue are affected beginning from the branch of River Katsina Ala down to Logo area, from Ayilamo to Anyebe, where we are planning the irrigation farming because the land is good.
“But because the bushes are always green there, the herders that actually come in numbers make use of these river banks to graze their cattle.
“So it becomes impossible and some people who actually struggled and farm around these river banks in the past lost their lives, since then farmers have been afraid to go to such areas.
“Over 500 hectares of land along the river banks have remained uncultivated as a result of insecurity.
“If you go to my office now some tools meant for irrigation farming that federal government supplied us such as pumps, solar mobile irrigation pumps and others, are lying fallow. No farmer is ready to have them because of fear.”
The state AFAN boss, however, called on federal and state government to ensure that Benue communities as well as all river banks across the state are protected as irrigation season is approaching so as to boost farming activities and food production in the state.