Gamadan, a well-known sugarcane-producing community in Kano State, has been hit by a strange disease that is rapidly destroying sugarcane farms.
The outbreak has caused heavy losses to farmers and now poses a serious threat to hundreds of families who depend on the crop for their survival.
The farmers, who spoke to Iconic Times 24, said the mysterious disease had ruined large portions of their farms, raising fears that sugarcane supply might drastically drop in the coming months.
Usman Abdullahi Gamadan, the chairman of the local sugarcane farmers’ association, said the farmers were devastated by the losses.
According to him, some affected families have already started leaving the village because they can no longer sustain their livelihoods.
“It was neverike this for us here, this is the worst farming season we faced in years.”
“Look at this, the disease has eaten our plants.”
“There could be sugarcane scarcity that could heavily impact lives in a negative way.”
Community leaders express concern
The village head of Gamadan, Alhaji Ali Abdu, confirmed that the community had never experienced such a disaster in its history.
He described the situation as unprecedented, adding that it had crippled the local economy that depends largely on sugarcane cultivation.
Other sugarcane farmers seen working on their damaged farms also voiced their frustration, warning that without urgent government or institutional intervention, many of them could fall into extreme hardship.
They explained that the pest or disease seemed to attack the sugarcane stalks, sucking the life out of them and making them unsuitable for harvest or sale.
Kano State is one of Nigeria’s major sugarcane-producing regions, supplying both domestic consumers and small-scale processing industries.
The farmers fear that if the outbreak continues, it could affect not only local production but also job opportunities in sugarcane-related enterprises.
They appealed to agricultural authorities and researchers to investigate the cause of the disease and provide immediate assistance to help save the remaining farms.
For now, Gamadan — once a thriving hub of sugarcane farming — is battling to recover from what many describe as the worst crisis in its history.
