In recent times, farmers, apart from surviving insurgent attacks and herders clash are faced with a new challenge.
Many Nigerians are suffering from hunger and acute hardship caused by food shortage.
Capping the hard time for them is a consistent loss of farm produce to theft.
When there is insecurity in a nation, one of the things that get most affected is the economy, followed by manufacturing and agriculture.
Nigeria, has for a long time, been experiencing insecurity in the Northern region. This insecurity is gradually finding its way down to the Southern part of Nigeria.
Have You Read: See Why Farmers Say FX, Insecurity Are Destroying Business
Farmers Lose ₦15 Billion Worth Of Farm Produce
A group known as the Community of Agricultural Stakeholders of Nigeria (CASON), is lamenting their losses.
According to the Agribusiness and Youth Empowerment Coordinator of CASON, Anga Sotonye, farm produce worth about ₦15 billion has been lost to theft.
Sotonye says stock theft is rife in farms across the country and large-scale stock theft is common in the North and South.
According to him, hunger in the land is pushing more people into stealing, which is making farmers lose 40% of their harvest to theft.
Furthermore, Sotonye said large-scale stealing of farm produce takes place before farmers can harvest their crops.
Lack of Law Enforcement Agent Presence Is Boosting Crime
The nonexistence of police stations near the farms makes it easy for these criminals to steal farm produce and go scott-free.
Farm produce and animals can be prevented from thieves, if there are local community patrollers, farm watchers, and safety cameras, among others.
Furthermore, Sotonye noted that crop and livestock producers suffered astronomical financial losses due to organised theft.
The situation was compounded by the limited ability and capacity to combat crime in rural areas.
Stock Theft Very Common In Farms
Also, Co-founder, of Corporate Farmers International, Akin Alabi, described stock theft as a major problem for farmers.
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Alabi said theft in the farms was very common in recent times.
He noted that stock theft had become so bad. According to him, it contributes to huge losses at the end of a production cycle for farmers.
Meanwhile, a Nasarawa-based farmer, Innocent Mokidi, noted that crimes were happening mainly in the rural areas.
