Niger farmers urged to abandon roadside crop drying amid health risks 

Community leaders, local government chairmen, and health experts in Niger State have raised concerns over farmers drying crops on dusty roadsides, where they are  exposed to dirt and thereby exposing the public to health risks.

The urgent appeal was made at a sensitisation event in Mokwa and Lavun, titled Against Roadside Drying, organised by the Federal Government, IFAD, and the Value Chain Development Programme, VCDP, for farmers from Edati, Lavun, and Mokwa councils.

“Drying crops on roads or bare ground is a recipe for disaster,” warned Nurse Leah Hassana Yisa, a health worker with IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna. “When farmers prioritise convenience over safety, we all pay the price.”

The event targeted farmers from Lavun, Edati, and Mokwa local government areas, highlighting the consequences of careless food handling and the need for a change in attitude.

Nurse Leah Hassana Yisa sounded the alarm on the dangers of the practice, saying, “Drying cassava, rice, or other crops on roadsides or bare ground exposes food to vehicle dust, stones, and animal waste, risking food poisoning, cancer, and intestinal problems like appendicitis from swallowed stones.”

She also emphasised the need for farmers to use cement floors and tarps instead, and to avoid harmful chemicals for storage, or ensure that any chemicals expire before the produce is sold to the public.

The chairmen of Lavun and Mokwa local governments, Alh Isah Maali, represented by Mal Lawan Mohammed, Director of Agriculture, and Hon Abubakar Usman, Mokwa council secretary — described the sensitisation as “impactful” and pledged to sustain the initiative.

“The councils will support the farmers to replicate what they have learned in their communities to help change the way they handle food,” the LG leaders noted.

Religious leaders also committed to preaching safer practices in their places of worship and communities, stressing the importance of adopting better ways of drying food crops and abandoning long-standing unsafe practices.

The Chief Imam of Mokwa, Alh Musa Ibrahim, stated, “We will use three Fridays to speak against this in the mosque and visit communities to sensitise farmers. What you will not eat, don’t give to others, that is what we want them to understand.”

Mrs Elizabeth Yisa, Business, Marketing and Development Officer of VCDP in the state, announced that tarps and cement floors will be provided to support farmers in adopting cleaner practices, aimed at protecting consumers and improving agricultural standards.

“The initiative is a step towards safer food handling in Niger State by farmers, with community leaders in attendance. We want farmers to understand that they must properly process what they eat and what they sell to the public to prevent contamination and enhance quality. We are pleased the farmers have agreed to embrace the shift,” she noted.

Mrs Aisha Mohammed and Lami Ndakotsu, beneficiaries of the sensitisation from Edati and Mokwa, admitted that they had been careless before, saying, “Now we will switch to cement floors and use tarps, no more roadsides!”

Niger farmers urged to abandon roadside crop drying amid health risks