Hundreds of irrigation farmers cultivating crops at the Bakori Dam site in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, have been counting their losses due to shortage of water from the dam.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that crops are drying up as a result of the seizure of water supply to irrigation farms from the dam and some crops were still not matured for harvest.
NAN reports on Friday that the situation has forced farmers to embark on early harvests, as they were seen picking few matured crops.
The chairman of Bakori irrigation farmers, Alhaji Jamilu Muhammad, told NAN that more than 500 farmers were involved in irrigation farming at the site.
He also said that it provided employment to no fewer than 1,500 people, especially youths, who worked directly on the farms or are engaged in trading at the dam premises.
Muhammad put the estimated cost of loss to farmers around N90 million, as a result of shortage of water from the dam.
Muhammad said about 300 hectares of land were being cultivated and crops being produced included tomato, potato, wheat, maize, onion and other vegetables in large quantities.
The chairman said that harvested goods were being transported to various places in the country, adding that the dam was constructed 60 years ago and had only been dredged once.
He called on the Katsina State governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari, to include the dam in his dredging projects for it to store more water, as the rainy season would begin soon.
The chairman described the dam as a major source of employment to people in the area, adding that urgent dredging of the dam would create opportunities to many people.
He said tomato farmers harvested between 300 and 350 baskets per hectare and based on the present prices of N1, 200 per basket, a huge amount of money had been lost.
According to him, farmers cultivating crops such as maize, wheat and tubers will suffer low harvest because of the seizure of water supply.
He lauded the Katsina Government for constructing about 600 metres canals, besides rehabilitating old ones that would facilitate water supply to the irrigation farms.
He added that people from towns and villages in Bakori and Danja Local Government Areas, engaged in farming or conducted various businesses at the dam sites for their livelihoods.
Another farmer, Alhaji Mustapha Ibrahim, called on the State Government to ensure that the dam is dredged for the benefit of the people.
Also speaking, a fisherman, Mallam Babangida Yakubu, said his business had suffered as a result of the dry-off, as no fewer than 60 people conducted their businesses daily at the dam.
NAN reports that besides fishermen and farmers, hawkers are also conducting businesses at the site and a cross section of the people also called on government to rehabilitate the dam due to its usefulness.
