Bee Farmers under the aegis of Grassroots Beekeepers Association of Nigeria (GBAN) have expressed concern over their inability to repay the N7.5m credit facility provided to them by the Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

This, according to hem, is due to the destruction of several beehives situated across the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja by herdsmen.

BOA had in September 2021 provided N7.5m loan to about 75 bee farmers at the rate of N100, 000 to each farmers. They were expected to repay the loan in April; unfortunately the herdsmen attacked many of their farms in November 2021 making it difficult for the farmers to repay the loan.

The National President of the GBAN, Mr. Gideon Dagunduro, who gave the details while speaking to The Guardian, said the association has only been able to repay 30 per cent of the loan.

Lamenting the spate of destruction on the beehives put at the sum of N20m, Dagunro said they had approach the Nigeria Agriculture Insurance Cooperation (NAiC) to help offset the loan but unfortunately they were told NAIC does not pay for damages done to farms by herdsmen.

He urged the bank to be patient with them as they are trying their possible best to repay the loan.

According to him: “Our major challenge now is insecurity. We use to have about 1,500 beehives across the FCT but now we cannot boast of 100 because most of them have been vandalised by unknown herdsmen and set ablaze. Again, two of our bee farmers were kidnapped last year.

Dagunduro pointed out that they have been facing the insecurity challenge because bee farming is mostly done in the bush and most of the farmers cannot even access the farms.

He said though government has been supporting them, he stressed the need for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to allocate budget to assist bee farmers in the country.