The National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) in Gombe State, has said that about 22,000 farmers have abandoned cotton growing for high paying crops.

Mr Bala Garba, the association’s Public Relations Officer, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Gombe on Wednesday.

He said that the trend, if not addressed, could threaten cotton production in Gombe, which was among the cotton producing frontline states in the country.

Garba said that the association lost 22,000 of its members from 2020 to date, who embraced cultivating maize, rice, beans and other food crops.

He attributed the decline to the collapse of ginneries, textile industries, lack of farmer support programmes, and poor quality seeds resulting in low yields and losses.

“Previously, we had over 25,000 cotton farmers in Gombe State. The state is one of the highest cotton producing areas, the cotton is of the best quality and well appreciated all over the world. However, we now have roughly 3,000 farmers; the decline contributed to the collapse of the ginneries.

“There are four private and state-owned ginneries that are no longer functioning due to lack of raw materials. The private ginnery has been dormant for about two years as there is no adequate cotton to process coupled with high cost of fuel,” he said.

Garba said that the trend poses negative impacts in view of its potential in creating employment and supplying raw materials to ginneries.

He advocated for viable intervention programmes to support farmers and encourage productivity.

“The Federal Government provided support to cotton farmers between 2019 and 2020, but the intervention has stopped since.”

(NAN)