Farming activities resume in Jigawa

Farming activities in the 2018 rainy season have started in most of the local government areas of Jigawa, investigations by our reporter have revealed.

It was observed that in view of the regular rainfalls across the state, most farmers have considered the soil wet enough for them to start commence ground tilling and crop growing.

In Dutse, Birninkudu, Kiyawa, Buji, Ringim and Gwaram local government local government areas of the state, our reporter noted that many farmers have planted seeds in their farmlands.

Malam Salmanu Ahmadu of Minari village in Dutse Local Government Area expressed satisfaction with the quality of the seeds which he planted on his farm.

He said: “You can see it yourself; all the millet, groundnut, guinea corn and bean seeds, which I planted, have germinated in a good way.

“We are happy that the rains have stabilised; therefore, we may not have any problem with the growth of the seeds we have planted.’’

Malam Yusuf Muhammad, a farmer in Birninkudu, said that the farmers’ fears about inadequate rainfall were now over, adding: “We can now plant anything.

“Our next challenge is how to get fertilisers to apply to the plants; I, therefore, appeal to the government to supply fertilisers to us in good time at subsidised prices.

“We also need agro chemicals like pesticides to destroy insects that could harm the crops we have planted,’’ he added.

Malam Salisu Abubakar, a farmer in Shuwarin village, Kiyawa Local Government Area, expressed hope that farmers in the area would record bumper harvests this year because of the adequate rains.

He said that he had already applied organic manure to his plants, adding that the plants were doing very well.

“I don’t want to wait for fertiliser from government because that is going to take a long time and if one is going to get it, it may come very late,” Abubakar added.