By Mohammed Mamman
Damaturu – Mr Mustapha Gajerima, Yobe Commissioner for agriculture, has advised farmers in the state to stop selling their farm produce “recklessly” to grain merchants.
Gajerima gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Damaturu.
He said that report had reached the State Government that grain merchants were moving around states to buy newly-harvested farm produce at low prices.
“We heard that grain merchants are moving from one state to another to buy newly-harvested farm produce to hoard and sell later at exorbitant prices.
“Some parts of the state experienced agricultural inactivity in the previous year due to security challenges that created food insecurity; we must caution our farmers to avoid food scarcity,’’ he said.
According to him, farmers generally in the state recorded bumper harvests of rice, millet, sorghum and soya beans this year.
“The bumper harvest recorded by farmers this year was due to government quick response to repel swarms from destroying farm crops,’’ the commissioner said.
He said that government had commenced effort to resuscitate the grain reserve programme to provide good market for farmers and to ensure food security.
He urged communities living on the bank of river Yobe, to commence irrigation farming to produce food needed for the state and export, adding that government would support irrigation farmers to grow more crops.
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