Zamfara was one of the old Hausa city-states. The kingdom came into being in the 11th century. At the height of its power, Zamfara kingdom extended up to the bend of River Rima to the northwest and River Ka in the southwest with its capitals in Dutsi, Birnin Zamfara. The kingdom flourished as an autonomous city-state until it fell to Gobir in the eighteenth century. In the nineteenth century, the kingdom became part of the Sokoto Caliphate after the 1804 Jihad of Usman dan Fodio. With the arrival of the British, the town of Gusau became an important commercial and administrative center with road and rail networks passing through it. When the Gowon administration created states, the Zamfara Kingdom became part of the then Northwestern State and later, Sokoto State. Zamfara State was created in 1996.
The people of Zamfara take delight in agriculture as is evident in their motto, “Farming is our pride.” They produce both food crops and cash crops. Some of the agricultural produce of the state include:
Soybean
Soybean is also called Glycine max and has replaced cotton and groundnut as cash crop in the state of Zamfara. There are two major reasons for this: the first is the low international price which has affected cotton production; the second is that soybean cultivation does not require much fertilizer. Soybean is among the species of legume that is widely grown for its edible bean. The crop grows well on a wide variety of soils and climates. It takes about four to seven days after planting to start growing and about ninety to one hundred and fifty days after sowing to mature. The pod of soybeans is usually green but turns yellowish-brown when it matures.
Beans
This is one of the most popular and staple foods in Nigeria. Beans is a legume which has different varieties. It is also recommended for its many health benefits. It takes about seven to fourteen days for beans to grow and about fifty to seventy days (depending on the variety) for it to mature. Zamfara State is one of the top five producers of beans in Nigeria.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are tropical herbaceous tuber crops that require a sandy-loam soil to grow. Zamfara is one of the northwestern states leading in the cultivation of this crop. Once harvested, sweet potatoes have a shelf life of about three months. They can be boiled or fried, made into chips, or ground into flour to make pap, pudding or buns.
Groundnut
Groundnuts are cultivated across the states of northern Nigeria. In early 1900, Nigeria ranked fourth in groundnut production globally. In this century, Nigeria is still a global leader in groundnut production after China and India. Groundnut provides multiple benefits to smallholder farmers growing the crop. It serves as an inexpensive source of protein to families who cannot afford the more expensive animal-based diets. As a legume, groundnut also provides the additional benefit of enhancing soil fertility through fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. This is especially important given the inflated cost of chemical fertilizers.
Sorghum
Also known as guinea corn, sorghum is the fifth most economically important grain after maize, rice, wheat and barley. Sorghum grows well in a tropical and sub-tropical climate. In Nigeria, sorghum is cultivated in large quantities in Zamfara, Adamawa, Yobe, Bornu, Niger, Gombe, Kebbi, Katsina and Jigawa states. It contains protein, vitamins, mineral and carbohydrate. Sorghum is used in making drinks, porridge, and pap.
References
Hamza Sani, “Profitability of Soybean Production by Small Holder Farmers in Nigeria: Impact of an Agricultural Programme Zamfara State, Nigeria,” International Journal of Agricultural Science and Research, Vol. 8, Iss. 2, 2018.
Safina Buhari, “Best ways to farm sweet potato, by expert,” Daily Trust Newspaper, February, 2nd, 2017.
H. Shuaibu, “Adoption and Impact of improved Groundnut Seed Varieties among Groundnut Farmers: Case of Albasu Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria,” Nigerian Journal of Basic and Applied Science, Vol. 26, No. 1, 2018.
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