Rising Fuel, Diesel Costs Threaten Irrigation Farming in Taraba

News in Brief:

— Taraba farmers say rising petrol and diesel prices are making irrigation farming increasingly expensive and could force many to abandon farming next season.

— High fertiliser and tractor costs, coupled with weak produce prices, are already making it difficult for farmers to recover their investments.

Farmers in Taraba State say rising petrol and diesel prices could push many out of irrigation farming, as mounting production costs threaten their ability to recover investments.

Tanko Bobbo Andami, chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Taraba, said farmers in Karim-Lamido, Lau and Gassol Local Government Areas often travel long distances to obtain fuel or resort to more expensive black-market supplies.

He said petrol now sells for between ₦1,800 and ₦1,900 per litre, while diesel costs about ₦2,200 in some remote farming areas. Higher fuel prices and rising input costs could discourage hundreds of farmers from participating in irrigation farming this year.

Production Costs Outpace Farm Income

Large-scale farmer Haliru Binnare said he spent more than ₦3 million on paddy rice production during the last irrigation season but recovered less than his investment after selling the harvest. He claimed that a bag of NPK fertiliser now costs about ₦50,000, while tractor services can cost ₦140,000 per hour. Meanwhile, a 100kg bag of paddy sells for roughly ₦40,000 to ₦43,000, with prices often falling during harvest.

Another farmer, Zubairu Adamu, said inadequate government support and the absence of effective input subsidies were worsening the situation. He added that some farmers were shifting from food crops such as rice, maize and cassava to cash crops including soybeans, sesame and melon seeds for better returns.

The farmers warned that without measures to reduce production costs, irrigation farming could cease and undermine food production in Taraba.