“Bandits Are Burning Our Farms”— Farmers Cry Out, Amid FG’s Claim That Nigeria Is Leading In Rice Production

Farmers in the Northern part of Nigeria have raised alarm over the continuous burning and destruction of their farms and farm produce by “bandits”, Nicolekaima’s blog reports.

This is coming moments after the Federal government, through the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Muhammed Mahmoud, announced that Nigeria was leading globally in the production of rice, yam, maize and other farm produce.

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Mahmoud had disclosed this on Tuesday, November 23, at the maiden edition of the National Agribusiness Stakeholders’ and Investment Summit in Abuja .

Here's what he stated in part;

“It is remarkable that in the past three years Nigeria has taken a leading role globally in cassava, yam, maize, palm oil and rice production.

“We are currently the largest producer of rice in Africa with a production level of over nine million metric tonnes from 2019. The Federal Government is investing in the development of additional 10 large scale integrated rice mills across the country.”

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Reacting, northern farmers took to the micro-blogging platform, Twitter, to share photos of their farms largely destroyed by bandits, terrorizing the region.

A Twitter user, Yusuf Anka, wrote; “This is what bandits are doing to farm produce in all corners of Zamfara. Leaders have to do better wallahi.”

Another user @Iam_shuayb, claimed that in his village, bandits brought hundreds of cows to feast on their farms and thereafter, burnt what was left.

“In my village, they sent cows in 100s to enter people's farms while they're heavily armed. Like my family, they were not able to harvest even a seed. Those who were lucky are able to pick in between the cows while others got their farms burnt,” he wrote.

See photos;