News in brief: Farmers in Mafa and Jere LGAs of Borno State affected by the Boko Haram insurgency seek increased support from the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to boost food production, emphasizing the importance of agricultural assistance in their recovery.
Farmers in Mafa and Jere Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Borno State, who have been affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, have called on the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for more support to agriculture to boost food production.
The farmers, who spoke to the press recently, said the areas have fertile land for food and cash crops production. However, they need support from the government and relevant agencies, like the NEDC, to improve their production.
Malam Abba Kawu, the district head of Mafa, said that agricultural support to farmers in the areas that have resumed farming activities would boost their production and address poverty.
He mentioned the historical significance of farming to the area and expressed hope in the development potentials of the current road construction by NEDC in opening up the area.
Alhaji Bulama Bukar, the Ward Head of Jiro in Mafa LGA, lauded the return of relative peace in the area, said farming activities had resumed for the first time in several years. He also added that farmers needed support in areas of inputs like improved seeds and pesticides.
He affirmed that support from security personnel, who provided protection while farmers worked their fields, were responsible for resumption of farming activities.
Many farmers from the village of Jere LGA said they needed more agricultural support to expand their areas of production. They noted that the access roads being provided by NEDC would enhance farming and business activities in the areas, especially where there were problems of transporting their produce.
Additionally, they lauded the federal government for establishing NEDC, saying that its interventions are impacting positively on the communities.
Vice President Kashim Shettima performed the ground breaking ceremony for the roads by NEDC that link communities in Mafa and Jere LGAs with the capital city of Maiduguri.
The call for more agricultural support from NEDC is timely and important because the region is still recovering from the effects of the insurgency.
