Sugarcane farmers in Kano State are grappling with one of the worst agricultural crises in recent years following a massive outbreak of Eldana saccharina, commonly known as the African sugarcane borer, which has devastated farmlands across Kura Local Government Area.
The infestation has left hundreds of farmers counting losses running into millions of naira, threatening livelihoods and forcing many young people to abandon farming for urban centres in search of alternative means of survival.
Findings revealed that the pest—whose larvae bore into sugarcane stalks and other cereal crops—has severely crippled production in communities including Dukawa, Kunshama, Danga, Tofa, Kwari, Gamadan, Yadagungume, Tudu and Gidan Makera.
Farmers described the infestation as unprecedented, with entire farms destroyed and harvests wiped out.
They said the losses have affected their ability to pay labourers, purchase fertiliser and sustain irrigation activities, warning that the continued migration of youths is placing immense social and economic strain on rural communities.
Agricultural experts have cautioned that if not urgently addressed, the pest could spread to other sugarcane-producing states, posing a serious threat to Nigeria’s sugar industry and national food security.
‘We lost hundreds of millions’ – Farmers
For Shehu Danga, a sugarcane farmer in Kura, the devastation is overwhelming.
“This is the worst we have ever seen. In some farms, we couldn’t harvest even a single sugarcane stalk; we had to burn everything,” he said.
Danga disclosed that he lost over ₦6 million this season, compared to ₦7 million earned last year.
“This year, I barely made ₦1 million. I couldn’t recover the cost of fertiliser and irrigation, let alone labour,” he added.
Another farmer, Hassan Ubale Shawai, said the pest had left him struggling to feed his family.
“Farming is our only business, inherited from our forefathers. I lost over ₦5 million this year. Last year, I sold sugarcane worth more than ₦6.8 million, but this year I didn’t even make one-third of that. Despite the drop in food prices, feeding my family has become very difficult,” he lamented.
Similarly, Sulaiman Adamu Tofa said the crisis was driving the younger generation away from agriculture.
“Almost everything has been destroyed. You are forced to burn your crops yourself. The business is crippled, and many youths are already migrating to cities in search of greener pastures,” he said.
The Village Head of Danhassan, Alhaji Adda’u Sani, told Daily Trust that nearly all neighbouring communities depended on sugarcane farming for survival.
“The pest has cut off our only source of livelihood,” he said, appealing for urgent intervention.
“Our representatives should listen to our plight. We are calling on the district head, state and federal lawmakers, the Ministry of Agriculture and the local government chairman to support the farmers. They are in dire need.
“If it were time to pay taxes, farmers wouldn’t be able to. While we need philanthropic support, what we need most is a permanent solution to this deadly pest. We are sugarcane farmers and we will not abandon farming,” he added.
Himma Radio steps in
In response to the outcry, Himma Radio, a community radio station in Kano focused on agriculture and nutrition, organised an intervention linking affected farmers with researchers from Bayero University Kano (BUK).
The station also launched a support fund to mobilise assistance for the farmers.
Himma Radio Manager, Ismail Yusuf Makwarari, said the intervention followed direct appeals from the farming communities.
“After reporting the issue, we connected the farmers with BUK’s Faculty of Agriculture to study the pest and provide solutions. The researchers visited the villages, collected larvae samples and confirmed the pest as Eldana saccharina,” he said.
“We realised the farmers had been neglected, so we shared the research findings to help them understand how to tackle the problem. We also felt the public should be aware so they can lend support,” Makwarari added.
The science behind the pest
A crop protection expert at BUK, Dr Baba Sani Wudil, confirmed the identity of the pest, explaining that it is a stem borer that attacks sugarcane and cereals such as sorghum, millet, wheat, rice and maize.
“This insect is highly destructive, especially in areas where it has established colonies. Eldana saccharina has existed in Nigeria for years wherever sugarcane is cultivated,” he said.
Dr Wudil advised farmers to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, including farm sanitation and crop rotation.
“If farmers plant sugarcane this year, they should plant vegetables the next. Crop alternation helps reduce pest population,” he explained.
He also recommended early chemical control and the use of bio-pesticides such as neem oil or neem seed extracts.
“Excessive chemical use has made the larvae resistant. That is why farmers must combine chemical treatment with cultural practices like crop rotation,” he noted.
According to him, eliminating the pest would require comprehensive research, including the development of resistant sugarcane varieties.
“We have informed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture through the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI) and the Sugarcane Council of Nigeria to intervene. Immediate relief packages are needed to cushion the losses, while long-term investment in research is crucial for a permanent solution,” he said.
Dr Wudil further revealed that a PhD student had commenced research on the pest but was hindered by funding challenges.
