By Emem Idio, Yenagoa 

As a measure to tackle the soaring prices of food items in Bayelsa State, the Arewa Community in the state has appealed to Governor Douye Diri to avail them farmlands to enable them to begin massive cultivation of food items such as yam, cassava, rice, onions and others in the state.

The Arewa Community under the aegis of Arewa Traders Association made the request in a resolution after an extensive meeting and consultation with its affiliate traders associations in Yenagoa on Sunday.

The traders who attributed the high cost of food items in the state to the high cost of transportation, taxation and other factors, noted that when farm products are produced within the state, it will save cost and bring down the prices of food items in the state.

Addressing newsmen after the group meeting in Yenagoa, Secretary of Arewa Traders Association, Bayelsa State chapter Comrade Abdulahi Umar, said the group is ready to partner and work with the State government to cushion the effect of the hardship on the people of the state through massive farming.

Umar who was flanked by his Chairman Alhaji Kamal Abubakar, and chairmen of Yam Dealers Association, Rice and Yam Traders Association, Butchers Association, Scrap Dealers Association, among others, pointed out that available agriculture experts’ analysis of the soil and climate indicate that state is suitable for cassava, yam, rice, onion, among other crops.

His words “As we continue to make the consultations on how to ease this hardship on the people of Bayelsa State and to assist government in their efforts to make sure that the people of Bayelsa State is out of this hardship, today we had a meeting of all the coalition leadership of Arewa Traders in Bayelsa State right from yam, onion, rice and beans and all of them, the leadership and all their members are all here with us and they affirmed their commitment to this our course of easing the hardship in this state through massive cultivation of food produce within the state.

“Our commitment is to see that this is done, we know how the economy and how the people are suffering. We are part of them and we empathise with them but we want to see how we can help the state government.

“We are farmers also, that is why we are appealing to the state government to give us lands to farm. If we can get this land, we believe that things will change and we will see progress in the state.

Also speaking the Vice Chairman of Arewa Community in Bayelsa State, Alhaji Umar Idris, who lamented the high cost of food prices in the state, said they are concerned, hence their decision to go into large-scale farming in the state to solve the problem.