Gov Bala Mohammed Blames Bauchi Farmers’ Woes On Poor Pricing, Weak Markets

Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has expressed concern over the widening gap between increased agricultural production and the growing economic hardship faced by farmers in the state.

The governor raised the alarm after a three-day visit to Duguri and Alkaleri local government areas.
He said although the farmers recorded bumper harvests, poor pricing and weak market structures have left many unable to recover their production costs.

Governor Mohammed said the state government was unable to implement its usual produce buy-back programme this year due to existing stockpiles, leading to an oversupply of food items in the market without a corresponding increase in purchasing power.

He lamented that while food is abundant, many citizens lack the financial capacity to buy it, leaving farmers who invested heavily in seeds, fertiliser and labour struggling to break even.

According to the governor, the situation has been worsened by certain federal government policies, particularly food importation measures, which he noted had inadvertently reduced the value of locally produced agricultural goods.

While acknowledging the federal government’s efforts to ease economic hardship through subsidies, Mohammed called for a comprehensive review of such policies to ensure they do not undermine local farmers or threaten agricultural sustainability.

He assured the people of the state that his administration is exploring measures to support farmers through improved access to quality seedlings, strengthening of farming cooperatives and development of more resilient agricultural value chains.

Governor Mohammed reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to people-oriented governance, stressing that leadership must be anchored on fairness, unity and service rather than ethnic or family considerations.