Farmers in Zamfara and Sokoto States are urging the Federal Government to deploy additional security personnel to protect them from bandits, whose attacks and extortion demands are disrupting harvests.

Key points from Zamfara:

• Bandits are imposing levies on rural communities, preventing farmers from accessing their farms or forcing them to forfeit parts of their crops.
• Alhaji Kabir Ibrahim (Sarkin Noman Mayanchi, Maru LGA) stated that fear of kidnapping is causing some farmers to abandon their farms.
• Farmers have suggested rechanneling funds meant for food importation to subsidize fertilizers and other inputs, to encourage active farming.
• Alhaji Adamu Bazamfare noted that insecurity and low market prices are discouraging large-scale cultivation.

Key points from Sokoto:

• Alhaji Abubakar Danmaliki (SADP) confirmed that farmers across 23 LGAs recorded bumper harvests, though some areas were affected by floods.
• Farmers highlighted low commodity prices, inadequate storage facilities, and insecurity as major challenges.
• Prices in Sokoto markets: paddy rice (₦23,000–₦30,000 per bag), maize (₦32,000), millet (₦32,000), onions (₦1,300 per measure), pepper (₦900 per measure).
• Farmers face post-harvest losses of up to 30% due to lack of modern storage infrastructure.

Overall observations:

• Bumper harvests have increased supply, contributing to declining market prices.
• Farmers are calling for government support in security, storage, and agricultural inputs to ensure peaceful and profitable harvests.