The
regular crisis between Fulani herdsmen and local farmers is expected to
cause a drastic reduction in food production amidst the problem of
insecurity.
State ministries of agriculture officials have expressed fears that
the constant attacks on farmers by herdsmen will affect food security
in the country this year.
The officials, who spoke with SUNDAY PUNCH correspondents in the
North-East, Middle Belt, and the southern part of the country,
specifically warned that the development could lead to malnutrition and
poor health.
The Benue State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. James Ambua, said
food production in the state would likely drop by 40 per cent this year
as a result of constant herdsmen attacks on farmers.
The commissioner lamented that the recent attacks came at a time
when farmers in the state were supposed to harvest their crops,
stressing that the bulk of the farmers who survived the attacks had been
displaced and are taking refuge outside their communities.
He explained that the state had comparative advantage in rice, yam,
corn, sesame seed, and beniseed (sesame), adding that some of the farms
were also burnt by the attackers.
He said, “Following the New Year attacks, the production of
farm crops has dropped by 40 per cent and this will surely have effect
on the nation’s food production.
“The dry season farming has been scuttled by herdsmen attacks
because Guma and Logo local government areas were attacked. The country
will definitely have food crisis this year and in 2019.”
The Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural
Resources, Dr. David Kassa, also said the herdsmen killings was
threatening national food security.
He said, “The Federal Government’s poor handling of herdsmen
crisis in Taraba, Benue and other states will definitely throw the
country into serious food crisis from this year on.”
The Chairman, Public Accounts and Petitions Committee in the
Plateau State House of Assembly, Peter Gyendeng, said, “The impending
food crisis from the Middle-Belt will likely spread to other parts of
the country.”
The officials in charge of agriculture in the southwestern states
of Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti have also raised the alarm that food
crisis was imminent in the region this year.
The Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture, Kehinde Odebunmi, said, “Definitely,
herdsmen attacks will affect food security in the South West region in
particular, and the country in general, because the farmers have not
been allowed to harvest their crops.”
He lamented that 10 hectares of castor seed, over 20 hectares of
cassava plantation and over 100 hectares of rice were destroyed by the
herdsmen in Oke Ako, Iyemero and Igede farm settlements, while they also
torched more than 50 hectares of cassava plantation in Orin farm
settlement.
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