Agriculture: Groundnut farmers face tough times in Sokoto

Groundnut farmers in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria, have only recently harvested their crops, but they say they are currently facing challenges.

They said some of the challenges facing them include foreign exchange, poor purchasing power of consumers, among others.

“Groundnut farmers in Sokoto are in a trying period because, absence of support and the forex crash, which led to the demise of off takers have contributed to decline in mass groundnut production,” Chairman Sokoto Groundnut Farmers Association, Alhaji Buhari Zakari, Wairin Kaffe lamented.

He said despite having about 3,000 members cutting across 11 local government areas of the state, the groundnut that they produce do not go beyond local consumption except for the little they transport to Kano State where some companies make use of it for biscuit, oil and animal feed.

Zakari said that groundnut farming in Sokoto State had been facing great challenges since the forex crash adding that little was being done to boost the production in the state.

He said,“We no longer have off takers, who would buy groundnut from farmers in large quantities for export which brings more money to us than just selling it to locals who make oil, kulikuli and biscuit.”

He disclosed that his association applied for N60 million loans from a commercial bank with N15m equity, but that they were yet to secure it despite all efforts to raise the amount.

“We tried to get the amount from wealthy individuals, but no one is ready to assist us; and we now seek for government’s intervention in the matter,” he said.

He underscored the potentials and economic importance of groundnut, stressing the need to support the farmers with necessary farm inputs and implement to boost its production.

The farmer recalled the role groundnut played in Nigeria’s economy before the discovery of oil as the country’s major foreign exchange earner; and urged that drastic action be taken to restore the lost glory.

At Kofar Dora groundnut depot in Sokoto Central Market, a merchant, Alhaji Faruku Hussaini, noted that lack of companies in Sokoto that will buy from them was a major challenge.

“Our customers are those who make oil locally and small cottage industries,’’ he said.

He said they got supply mostly from Tambuwal, Yabo, Shagari, Bodinga, kware and Dange Shuni local government areas on daily basis.
Hussaini said sometimes they also go to other states such as Niger and Zamfara to get supply.

A measure of groundnut now cost N200 and a 100kg sack costs N7,000, while for the threshed groundnut , a measure is N550; and a sack, N25,000.

He said it was very much available during harvesting season between October and December; and scarce in the market between June and August every year.

He appealed to the government to support and assist the farmers to grow more for export as well as local consumption.

THIRD LEAD STORY