The Sesame Seed Traders and Farmers Association has so far registered 1,719 sesame farmers for the 2021 Cropping Season, the chairman of the association, Alhaji Abdu Hussain, has said.
Hussain told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Tuesday that the registration, which is ongoing, would enhance farmers’ access to inputs and technical know-how from the State and the Federal Governments.
He said although sesame was cultivated in the 17 local government areas of Yobe, Nguru and Machina local government areas are the biggest producers of the cash crop.
“ At the peak of the harvest period around November 2020, no fewer than 50 trucks loaded with sesame were dispatched weekly from the two local governments to Kano.
“ Each bag of about 76 kg was sold for between N36,000 and N37,000 within the period, the price has now dropped to between N33,000 and N35,000.
“ It will interest you to know that our sesame is of high quality because we do not allow adulteration.
”We lack farm inputs and sesame cleaning and grading equipment,” he said.
He appealed to the federal and state governments to always involve the association in distribution of input loans to ensure that only real farmers benefit from the loans.
The chairman also appealed to the state to establish sesame cleaning firm to enable farmers have value for their produce.
“ If government can buy these machines, either through collaboration with private sector, our sesame seeds will have more value and that will end under pricing of the commodity by grain merchants in Kano.
“ We are also calling on the state to use its connection to attract foreign buyers of sesame to Yobe, as it is being done in neighbouring Jigawa,” he said.(NAN)
