Poor Nigerian Farmers, How They Lost N200m To..

Poor Nigerian farmers, in these hard times they have lost about N200m in just one community cultivating one product line.

This is the lot of tomato farmers in Dadi Louis community, an island in Iworo, Olorunda Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Badagry division of Lagos State.

They suffered the loss within the months of March and June to what the authorities have described as   strong wind that affected their farms.

Mr Tiamiyu Afeez, Chairman,  Itesiwaju Cooperative Multipurpose Society, the farmers’ co-operative society, disclosed this in an interview with NAN in Badagry.

“We always plant tomatoes in two seasons, that is from March to June is first season and from July, August and September is another season in a year.

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“At the beginning of the season, all of us borrowed over N100m from banks, and individuals to plant tomatoes on over 35 acres of land.

“Under normal circumstances, we pay back with half of the money collected; if you collect two million naira ,you will pay back three million naira at the end of the season.So ,we make N200 million every season ,from which we settle our loans.

“In March, we started planting for the first season, but around May , the wind came and  destroyed all we planted, for the season.

“The wind destroyed everything on our farms ,and I can tell you that  we lost over N200 million to that problem”,he said.

Poor Nigerian farmers, they had to sell their personal belongings and properties  to remain in business, Afez said.

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“I had to sell my vehicle to be able to start planting this time around.

“We had  to go back to banks and others we are owing to beg  them to extend the time for repayment of our loans.They agreed because they knew what happened to us,” he said.