By Roseline Okakah
Watermelon farmers in Ondo State have expressed concern over the sharp decline in watermelon production, attributing the situation to persistent attacks by herdsmen, insecurity and inadequate government support.
The Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of Watermelon Farmers Association of Nigeria, WAFAN, Mr. Chado Evans, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with THE HOPE, describing watermelon production in the state as being at a “zero level” due to repeated destruction of farmlands by herders.
Evans maintained that farmers can no longer cultivate their farms without fear of invasion and destruction.
He said, “It is zero production because of herdsmen harassment. Once we plant, they destroy everything we produce. In Akoko and other areas, farmers are complaining because once the herdsmen pass through our plantations, the entire production is lost.”
Evans recalled that watermelon farming in Ondo State flourished between 2009 and 2015 before the attacks began in 2016, adding, “It was very good before then. The harassment started in 2016, and since then, production has drastically reduced because once you plant, the herdsmen destroy the farms.”
He added that several complaints had been lodged with security agencies over the years.
“There are records of complaints at police stations, protests and several reports,” he added.
The WAFAN chairman also identified the absence of processing facilities as a major setback for watermelon farmers in the state.
He explained that watermelon is highly perishable and requires processing plants for preservation and value addition.
He enthused, “In Ondo State, we do not have a processing plant where we can preserve or process our products for storage. Watermelon can spoil within two to three weeks if not sold. The only solution is processing it into juice, and we currently do not have the facilities to do that.”
Evans revealed that the association had previously planned to establish processing mills and train youths across the state between 2016 and 2018, but the initiative failed due to insufficient support.
He stressed, “Our vision when we started was to move round the state between 2016 and 2018 to train youths and establish processing mills, but up till now, support has not reached the real farmers.”
He further expressed dissatisfaction with the distribution of government interventions, alleging that agricultural inputs and support programmes rarely get to genuine grassroots farmers.
Evans urged the government to properly identify and support genuine farmers before distributing agricultural assistance.
He also raised concerns over the worsening insecurity across the country, linking it to the challenges confronting farmers.
He said, “There are kidnappers, bandits and herdsmen everywhere. Farmers are no longer safe. The government knows what to do and should act before the situation gets out of hand.”
Speaking on export opportunities, Evans stated that the association’s immediate priority is to establish processing facilities before considering exportation, insisting, “We are focusing on setting up processing mills where we can process products that are currently going to waste before talking about exportation. It is only when we have sufficient production that we can begin to discuss export opportunities