Farmer Laments Over Losses Caused By Flood, Herdsmen 

Much may not have been heard last concerning the losses which the management of Olishfarm Makurdi is facing this year.

Recall that the farm recorded over 500 million naira losses this year during the devastating flood in the country. While trying to recover from that record loss, the farm is also witnessing another loss which unlike that of the flood which was as a result of nature, this time around what the farm is witnessing is occassioned by humans.

In a media interaction with some journalists whom he took round the facility located at their new site at Naka Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue state, the proprietor of the farm Hon. Dr. Hyacinth Olisachebe said a total of almost 700 hecters of rice planted by the company and the indigenes of the place have been destroyed by fulani herdsmen who came with their cows and destroyed the crops that were been invested. He described the conduct of the Herdsmen as bold and audacious. While calling on well meaning Nigerians to come to his aid, he decries the lackadaisical attitude of the security personnel to the plight of the farmers.

“These are security personnel that have always been with us excorting us to the farms before now. But to my surprise, they have abandoned us to our fate which is really unfortunate”

Hon. Olisachebe recalled how having stayed for over 22 years abroad, he decided to come to Nigeria to invest along side 4 rice experts from Vietnam only to be recording the kind of losses he is recording. He questioned if it was wrong to heed to the call of Mr. President to invest in agriculture. “we cannot be using one sector to service another sector in this manner. It is a big threat to the so called quest food security being bandied about by the government”

Dr. Olisachebe urged all stakeholders interested in the development of the agric sector to come to his aid because of how enormous the loss is for him and the community affected.

Also speaking on the issue, the village head Chief Anche Gbuul who is also the kindred head of Mbakyu, lamented how bitter and helpless the entire community are because of this Fulani herdsman attack into his community farm land especially the attack on olishfarm which has brought in employment to the youths of the community in his words, “my entire kingdom really feel for Hon. Dr Hyacinth Olisachebe who came right from Ebonyi state to invest in my community” he requested the federal government to look into it and see that security personnels are sent to come and secure this wonderful vision of Olishfarm in his community, because the community has given the company 10000 hectares to farm upon in order to bring employment opportunities to the community.