Stock theft remains rife in farms across the country with Agribusiness & Youth Empowerment Coordinator, Community of Agricultural Stakeholders of Nigeria (CASON), Anga Sotonye, putting losses at N15 billion.
It was learnt that large-scale stock theft is common in the North and South.
Speaking with our correspondent, Sotonye noted that farmers lose about 40 per cent of their harvest to thieves with the attendant hunger, pushing more people to steal stored farm produce.
According to him, large-scale theft of farm produce was taking place before farmers could harvest their crops.
This situation is not helped by nonexistence of police stations near the farms, absence of local community patrollers, farm watches, the effective use of safety cameras, among others, to play a decisive role in preventing more animals and produce from being stolen.
Following the deplorable economic situation, Sotonye noted that both crop and livestock producers have suffered astronomical financial losses as a result of organised theft.
According to him, the situation was exacerbated by limited ability and capacity to combat crime in the rural areas.
