Wamakko is home to many farmers, with the Sokoto River providing a good means of irrigation. One of these farmers is Nasiru Bala, a farmer with 15 years of experience who grows, among other things, jamila (long grain) and buhun banza (short grain) rice. We spoke to Nasiru to find out more about his work.
Like most farmers in the area, Nasiru inherited this land from his family. Rather than one large field, his land is split into smaller pieces across a fadama, or floodplain. Fadama farming has its benefits, particularly for rice, which is one of Nasiru’s main crops. The frequent flooding acts as a kind of natural irrigation, leaving the land moist, and the alluvium – or silt – deposited by the floods provides excellent soil fertility. There is too much land for Nasiru to tend alone, so he has a team of workers. About 60% of his labour force is hired, while around 40% consists of family members.
With his many years of experience, Nasiru has become something of an expert on farming, and he was happy to talk to us about his methods. He produces rice during the wet and dry seasons, harmoniously working with the natural irrigation of the fadama. During the dry season, he pumps water from a nearby stream to irrigate his land, while farmers who live further from the stream use wells or boreholes on their farms. The dry season requires more work; Nasiru begins preparing his land in January and waters it a week after he has scattered his seeds. The farm floods every week, providing ample water for the seeds to grow. Four weeks after planting, Nasiru applies NPK fertiliser, which contains nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K). This fertiliser provides a good all-round boost for the plants, promoting leafy growth, the development of roots and flowers, and overall health and disease resistance. Two weeks later, he applies urea, a concentrated nitrogen fertiliser that further encourages leafy growth and, by extension, photosynthesis. The weekly flooding continues, and Nasiru will begin to harvest his rice in April. A month later, in May, he will begin to plant seeds for the rainy season, which he harvests in August.
Although he almost makes it sound easy, Nasiru does face challenges in his work. Unpredictable weather, like inconsistent rainfall and hail storms, can cause issues for his crops, and excessive flooding is a big problem, as his fadama is on a dam discharge route. Pumping water into the land during the dry seasons requires special machinery that is powered by fuel, which can be expensive. The high cost of fertilisers can also present issues, especially as late introduction of fertilisers can affect crop growth. In particular, Nasiru encounters pests like “buzuzu” (weevils and beetles) and “tsusa” (worms). Like most farmers in the area, he does not have a background in formal education, and this can bring its own problems; he doesn’t always know the proper names for the pests he encounters, and he relies on investors and pesticide suppliers to tell him what to use. Currently, his insecticide of choice is Sharpshooter, a broad-spectrum natural insecticide with a rapid onset of action, although he also uses a knapsack sprayer to apply gammalin and otapiapia – a locally prepared insecticide comprised of kerosene and an organophosphate – to preserve his produce and protect it from pests and insects.
Nasiru is always thinking ahead, and during the harvest season, he will reserve some seedlings for the next planting cycle. Seedlings are available to purchase, but this can be unreliable; many farmers in the area have purchased seedlings in the past that did not grow well, partly because they were unfamiliar with the specific species of seed. Using seedlings from his own crops means that Nasiru knows exactly what will grow and how best to care for it. Unfortunately, growing the same crops every season has affected the fertility of the soil. Different crops absorb different nutrients from the soil, so farming the same ones without giving the land a chance to recover means that these nutrients are depleted over time. Although Nasiru is aware of this, he, like many farmers, has continued the process.
Nasiru does not receive any government aid to support his farm; instead, private organisations, like AFEX, WACOT and RIFAN, provide farm inputs and receive produce in return after the harvest. If he cannot find a buyer for his produce, these organisations will buy it from him instead, giving him some stability. He is also a member of a kungiyar – a cooperative that gives farmers cash capital, seedlings or fertilisers, which he can repay with farm produce of equal value after the harvest. These cooperatives are widely-used in the Wamakko farming community, and they can assist with setting market prices and selling farm produce. Most farmers, including Nasiru, take their produce to farmers’ markets in Ramin Kura and Kasuwar Daji, where it is loaded on to trucks to be transported to different parts of the country.
Despite the challenges, Nasiru wouldn’t trade his farm for a corporate job. His work is rewarding and profitable, and his farm is secure thanks to the farming community. He encourages non-farmers to return to more rural communities to work the land, and he believes that a higher engagement with farming will lead to better national food security. We wish Nasiru Bala the best of luck with his farm, and we hope that his work will inspire others to contribute to agriculture.
Megan Diehl is a dedicated writer who loves to explore the world of food and agriculture, sharing insights that connect people to the roots of their sustenance. When she isn't writing, Megan can usually be found cooking for her family, creating textile art and gardening.
