NEWS DIGEST – A farmer, Mr Dickson Imasogie, on Thursday said that fire had razed 154 hectares of cassava and rubber plantations in Uvbe, Uhumwode Local Government Area of Edo.
Imasogie, who is the owner of the plantations, said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Thursday.
He said that the fire had spread to his farm from a nearby bush.
“The fire was vicious and it raged on for hours; it was aided by dry leaves and strong winds. By the time the fire was noticed, it had destroyed every part of the farm.
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“In 2017, I spent about N1.5million to clear the plantation but the fire still spread to my farm.
“The problem is that there is no rain, assuming there is rain; the rubber would spring up again.
“It is only the rubber that I am worried about. I have assigned more than 12 persons to harvest the cassava,” he said.
Imasogie said that some hectares of his cocoa farm were also destroyed by fire in another incident which occurred on Tuesday, Feb. 13, adding: “As l speak to you now, l am not a happy man.
“I did not insure the farm, I only have an insurance cover for my plantain flour manufacturing factory,’’ he added. (NAN)
