Jigawa explains how it protects farmers, targeting 50% of rice, wheat supply

The Jigawa State Government has launched several initiatives to safeguard farmers from climate, market, and security challenges. These efforts aim to improve agricultural productivity across the state.

Saifullahi Umar, Director-General of the Jigawa State Agriculture Transformation Agency, shared details about the strategies in an exclusive interview with BusinessDay on Sunday.

Umar stated that the State had already put various measures in place, such as crop insurance for thousands of rice farmers, subsidised inputs, flood control infrastructure, and conflict resolution mechanisms between farmers and herders.

He noted the State Government recently partnered with the Nigeria Agribusiness Best Investment Framework Programme under the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria to protect rice farmers from potential losses.

“During the last farming season, the state government provided insurance for about 23,000 rice farmers, with both the state and federal governments sharing the cost of the insurance premiums,” Umar said.

He explained that this intervention aims to protect farmers from unexpected losses caused by weather issues or other agricultural risks.

Umar added that the Government had also introduced input subsidies to lessen the burden of rising costs in the agricultural sector.

“Nigeria has faced significant price increases in farm inputs and utilities that impact agricultural activities. To help, the government has provided farmers with first-tier inputs at subsidized rates to lessen the effects of the current economic situation.

“Jigawa deals with annual floods that often damage farmland. To tackle this, the government has built over 100 kilometers of embankments along riverbanks and established drainage systems to direct floodwater away from farmlands,” he said.

He noted that the embankment projects involve several key local government areas, including Miga, Guri, Kuta, Samma, and Hadeja.

Umar also stated that the State had introduced price incentives for farmers who receive government agricultural loans to protect them from market fluctuations.

“When market prices dropped, the state guaranteed a minimum price for farmers. In some instances, the government collected repayments from farmers at rates higher than the market price, sometimes up to ₦10,000 per bag of rice or grains,” he said.

He clarified that even though the loans were interest-free, farmers repaid them in kind through produce delivered to the Government.

Looking beyond these immediate actions, Umar stated that the Government is seeking long-term solutions to enhance irrigation systems and flood control infrastructure.

He said the State had begun rehabilitating and desilting dams, including Dambun Dam and Gude Dam, and plans to desilt at least 10 more dams across the state. “These long-term investments aim to prevent water overflow that can destroy farmlands and expand irrigated agriculture over many hectares,” he said.

On security, the head of the Jigawa State Agriculture agency explained that the state had adopted a community-based approach to resolve conflicts between farmers and herders.

“The State established the Farmers and Herders Management Board to mediate disputes and manage interactions between the two groups.

“This approach is not top-down but community-driven. It focuses on dialogue and mediation to settle conflicts between farmers and herders.

“Many herders enter Jigawa during harvest periods due to water shortages in their regions. To address this, the state collaborated with communities in Niger to create watering points so herders can access water without entering Nigeria during harvest seasons,” he said.

Umar further noted that the State Government had recruited over 9,000 security guards to protect agricultural infrastructure, including irrigation systems and farm storage facilities.

He added that intelligence committees had been set up in local governments to monitor security issues and report them to agencies like the police, the Department of State Services, and the military.

Looking ahead, Umar expressed hope that ongoing agricultural reforms would enhance the state’s contribution to national food production. He stated, “In the next 10 years, with the current reforms, Jigawa is expected to supply between 40 and 50 percent of Nigeria’s rice and wheat demand”.

He added that the state’s investments in irrigation, support programs for farmers, and conflict resolution systems are likely to boost productivity and strengthen food security across the country.