Agro-chemical dealers in Bauchi are recording high sales due to increased patronage occasioned by the cropping season.

A check at the Muda Lawal and Central markets, on Thursday in Bauchi, showed that farmers were buying pesticides and herbicides in large quantities to support their farming activities.

The trend has resulted in a slight 15 per cent increase in product prices since the onset of the rainy season.

A litre of the Force Up brand of herbicide was sold at N3,500 as against N3,000, and a sachet of granulated herbicide called ‘Caterpillar’ sold at N1,500 as against N1,200, before the rainy season.

Yusuf Lawal, an agrochemical dealer, said that farmers were buying the products in larger quantities for weed and pest control in the farms.

He said the products were available at affordable prices and described the market conditions as encouraging.  

“Now that the rains have started, patronage has increased, and we hope farmers will continue to have access to these products,” he said.

Also, Ibrahim Isa, a retailer, expressed joy over the high patronage, adding that he made good savings from the trade.

He attributed the high patronage to improvement in the extension services, which encouraged farmers to adopt modern farming practices.

A farmer, Ishaku Yelwa, said that agrochemical prices were, on average, making the products affordable to smallholder farmers.

He said the product prices remained unchanged from the previous season.

Another farmer, Lucy Joshua, said that using herbicides was the easiest way to maintain farms due to the rising cost of human labour.

“Many farmers now prefer agrochemicals for weed control because they are more affordable and less labour-intensive,” he said.

(NAN)