How a Worm Infestation Cost Sugarcane Farmers Millions in Kano.
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu
Democracy Newsline | January 12, 2026.
Sugarcane farmers in Kura Local Government Area of Kano State are battling one of the worst agricultural crises in recent years following a widespread infestation of a destructive worm identified as Eldana saccharina.
The pest, which bores into sugarcane stalks and other crops, has devastated farms across communities including Dukawa, Kunshama, Danga, Tofa, Kwari, Gamadan, Yadagungume, Tudu and Gidan Makera. Hundreds of farmers say they have lost millions of naira as entire farms were destroyed, forcing some to burn infected fields.
- Advertisement -
Sugarcane farming is a major source of income in Kura and surrounding areas, supporting thousands of households. Farmers say the infestation has crippled the local economy and pushed many young people to abandon farming and migrate to cities in search of survival jobs.
“We have never seen losses like this,” said Shehu Danga, a farmer who lost over ₦6 million this season. “In some farms, you cannot harvest a single stalk.”
Another farmer, Hassan Ubale Shawai, said the damage has affected his family’s survival. “I lost more than ₦5 million this year. Farming is all we know.”
The village head of Danhassan, Alhaji Adda’u Sani, confirmed that sugarcane farming is the main livelihood in the area and described the infestation as a major blow to the community.
Following distress calls from farmers, Himma Radio, Kano’s agriculture-focused community radio station, facilitated an intervention involving experts from Bayero University, Kano (BUK). Scientists confirmed the pest as Eldana saccharina.
Dr. Baba Sani Wudil of BUK warned that without urgent intervention, the pest could spread to other sugarcane-producing states, threatening Nigeria’s sugar industry. He called for emergency support for farmers, improved pest management, and government-funded research to develop resistant sugarcane varieties.
Experts warn that failure to act could deepen rural poverty and undermine Nigeria’s push for local sugar production.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, JANUARY 12TH 2026)
