Help us contain Fulani herdsmen : farmers in Ashanti appeal
THE scourge of Fulani herdsmen and their cattle has reared its ugly head again in the Ashanti Region.
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This time, it is maize farmers in the Ejura Sekyedumase District who are suffering the brunt of the activities of the herdsmen.
The farmers have alleged that the herdsmen have destroyed their farms by allowing their cattle to graze on them.
According to them, all their investments have been lost to the activities of the herdsmen and their herds.
The farmers have, therefore, appealed to the government and security agencies to help them deal with the activities of the nomadic herdsmen in the area.
Complaints
The farmers expressed their concerns during a field trip organised by Support for Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC) to introduce the farmers to new maize varieties. They said although they had made several complaints to the police, no action had been taken yet.
The project is aimed at introducing farmers to new and improved varieties of maize as part of efforts to increase food production and improve the income level of smallholder farmers.
The farmers also accused the traditional leaders of allegedly conniving with the Fulani herdsmen by giving them land to keep their animals.
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According to David Yamful, who is also the assemblyman for Adidwan, the activities of the herdsmen and their cattle are really affecting farming activities in the area.
He said the herdsmen brought their cattle to graze on their farms in the night and when they were later confronted, they denied it.
Mr Yamful recounted an incident in which a farmer had to lay ambush on his farm at night and when he saw the cattle grazing on the farm, he shot one of them.
“For trying to protect his farm, he was arrested and detained for four days at the police station; meanwhile, if we complain about the activities of the herds, the police do nothing,” he claimed.
His point was corroborated by David Awuley Awuni, the assemblyman for Atonsu in Ejura-Sekyedumase, who said most of the farmers in his area faced similar challenges.