Kano – The Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN), Kano State chapter, has expressed concern over the inadequate water being supplied to irrigation farms from the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA).
The Chairman of the association, Alhaji Faruk Rabi’u, made the complaint in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Friday.
Rabi’u said the worst affected farmers were those in Bunkure and some parts of Kura Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, officials of the association have officially complained to the management of the agency but that nothing has been done to address the problem.
“One of the major challenges confronting our farmers in Bunkure and some parts of Kura Local Government Area is inadequate water supply from Hadejia-Jama’are River due to blockage.
“As you know, water is the most important input required by farmers but the supply from the Hadejia-Jama’are River is inadequate,” he said.
He expressed fear that the problem could affect wheat production in the area unless something was done to solve the problem.
The Public Relations Officer of HJRBDA, Alhaji Salisu Hamzat, blamed the problem on canal blockage at the main canal that supplied water from Tiga dam.
Hamzat said the authority had to close supply from the dam in order to effect repairs.
“The problem was caused by ‘Wehered rock’ along the main canal or simply means canal blockage.
“The repairs have been completed and we have released water from that day, but it has to take about two weeks before the water can reach the farms in some local government areas due to the distance,” he said.
He, however, called on all the affected farmers to bear with the authority as water would soon reach their irrigation farms.
NAN reports that wheat farmers in the state are expected to cultivate no fewer than 20,000 hectares of irrigable land this irrigation season.