Farmers in Gombe State whose farms were submerged by the flood that ravaged their communities during the rainy season have started counting their losses.
The farmers, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Thursday, said they were “devastated and helpless.”
The affected farmers are from Billiri, Kaltungo, Balanga, Yamaltu/Deba, Nafada and Akko Local Government Areas of Gombe State where flood had submerged several hundreds of hectares.
Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, a soya beans farmer from Panguru community in Billiri LGA, said he cultivated over four hectares of soya beans but harvested less than two bags of the produce.
Ibrahim said he was expecting between 160 and 180 bags of soya beans but due to heavy downpour which flooded and ravaged his farm, he could not get the expected yield.
“I lost over N6.7 million worth of produce to this flood. We were close to harvesting and then the rains came and submerged our farms.
“I borrowed N650,000 to buy improved seedlings but now I am indebted with no hope of paying back.
“There are farmers in my community who cultivated many hectares of soya beans and were expecting at least 500 bags which is about N22 million worth of produce.
“Many of those farmers are left with nothing; many of them are having mental issues because of the shock.”
He said government’s intervention would help reduce farmers’ hardship, “so that we can return to our farms for dry seasoning farming; without supports, many farmers may not return to farms for a while.”
For Babangida Yakubu, a maize farmer from Deba community of Yamaltu/Deba LGA, he said living became difficult, on seeing the level of damage on his farmland.
Yakubu said while farmers appreciated God for the rains, they were mindful of the fact that the flood was not anyone’s fault, hence “we need the support of both the Gombe State and Federal Government.”
He said he lost an estimated 250 bags of maize to flood from the 10 hectares he cultivated and now, “I cannot cope if I don’t get any help; life is difficult for me and my households,” he said.
Also, Mr Usman Adamu, the secretary of Soybeans Farmers Association of Nigeria, Gombe State chapter, said no fewer than 1, 000 of its members from Billiri, Balanga, Yamaltu/Deba and Akko LGAs were affected by the flood.
Adamu said the damage would have an impact on the food security effort of government, “so I am appealing to governments at all levels to support farmers, for them to cultivate crops during the dry season to complement their loses.”
On his part, Mr Ibrahim Abubakar, the Head of Extension Officers, Gombe State chapter of the Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN) special project under the Anchor Borrowers Programme, said the impact of the floods could not be quantified.
Abubakar said if affected farmers were not supported by the government, it would be difficult for many of them to recover from the loss towards continuing the vocation of farming.
“In Nafada, 50 hectares of maize farms were lost; Yamaltu/Deba over 128 hectares; Akko 52 hectares and in Billiri 85 hectares of maize farms were lost.
“I am appealing to governments and other stakeholders to support owners of these farmlands to reduce their pains and ensure they are able to farm again.”