NALDA Builds Earth Dam to Check Farmer/Herder Clashes, Boost Food Security in Bauchi

James Emejo in Abuja

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has built an earth dam to support farmers in Azare Local Government Area (LGA),  Bauchi State.

The gesture,  which is in line with its mandate to boost food security across the country also included land clearing and farm inputs.

The Executive Secretary of NALDA,  Prince Paul Ikonne, said the project would ensure availability of water for irrigation and animal husbandry to curb farmers/herders clashes in the state and across the country.

Speaking during an engagement with farmers in Gamawa, he commended the enthusiasm of the farmers, assuring them that NALDA would make inputs available to them alongside other needed support.

Ikonne said,  “We will go into good partnership with you if you provide the land. With this one we’ll provide solar powered pumping machines so that the water can go out to the farms.

“We have done something like this in Dabiram dam, we will be happy to replicate this in another location so that we will have a lot of farmers do dry season farming.

“And all the support that the farmers needed,  President  Muhammadu Buhari has mandated NALDA to provide it but for the community that’s ready and I can see that this community is ready.”

Commenting on the importance of the dam,  the NALDA boss said, “The water you see in the dam now is  not rain water; so what it means is that when rain falls you will have enough water for all year round farming in partnership with NALDA, and that is why we are here, I’m happy that your community is now ready.”

However,  the dam which will be ready in a fortnight would cater for the water needs of over 10,000 animals and irrigation  in over three villages where the authority will provide solar powered pumping machines to irrigate their farms.

With the 500 hectares donated by the communities, Ikonne said NALDA will provide additional earth dam and pumping machines to further boost irrigation farming in the second location.

He stated that Buhari,  a farmer himself,  understood the needs of farmers which is why he equipped NALDA in order to impact farmers by providing equipment for land clearing, land preparation, planting, harvesting and make inputs available to the farmers.

However,  the representative of the District Head of Gamawa,  Mohammed Babayo,  who spoke on behalf of the farmers,   appreciated the federal government for the dam and called on NALDA to further support farmers in the area with inputs including improved seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and access roads.

He added that they were willing to provide more lands for clearing and preparation for more partnerships with the authority.

Apart from the earth dam, the authority had also provided cow and goat pens in Azare.

The pens will be fully equipped with solar powered boreholes, veterinary services, access roads and Nafia grass fields for the production of feeds for the animals.

The establishment of the cow and goat pens would reduce cattle movements in the area thereby curbing farmer/herder clashes,  Ikonne added.