Nigeria: How sesame, melon farmers made fortunes in Taraba

Sesame and melon farmers in Taraba State witnessed bumper harvest despite disruption in rainfall, which affected the growth of many crops. These two cash crops, it was learnt, were not affected by the abrupt rainfall cessation experienced in many parts of the state. The crops, which take about two months to mature, were grown as an alternative source of income for the farmers before other crops are harvested. Weekend Trust gathered that more farmers engaged in sesame and melon farming in recent years following high demand and good price. The two crops are usually planted as soon as the first rain of the year is recorded due to their drought resistance nature. A farmer, Ibrahim Yakubu, told Weekend Trust that in the last three years, more farmers have engaged in the farming of sesame and melon crops because of their good prices and patronage. “It was in 2021 that prices of the two commodities went up, with a 100kg bag of sesame selling for N110,000 while 100kg bag of melon hit ...