AGRICULTURE: Farmers Protest Levy on Produce in Bali LGA, Call for Chiefdom’s Intervention

By our correspondent,Bali, Taraba State September 25, 2025.

Farmers in Judai community, Bali Local Government Area, have raised concern over levies allegedly imposed on them by their village head.

Some of the farmers, who spoke to our Bali zonal correspondent on condition of anonymity, alleged that the traditional leaders demanded either two bags of melon or a cash payment of ₦100,000 from each farmer in the area. They described the demand as disturbing and burdensome, particularly at a time when both food and cash crop prices have dropped across the country.

According to the farmers, the situation is worsening their economic challenges. They appealed to the Kuru Jibu Chiefdom, under the leadership of His Royal Highness Abubakar Mahmoud, to intervene and protect them from what they described as unfair treatment by village and district heads.

However, when contacted, the Village Head of Judai in Kusum Ward, Adamu Bandi Judai, dismissed the claims. He explained that the contribution is not targeted at individual farmers but at entire communities. He noted that the practice, which he referred to as a “soil tax,” has long existed in the area, requiring communities to offer farm produce to the traditional authority after harvest.

According to him, communities unable to provide produce are expected to contribute a token in cash as appreciation to the district head, who he emphasized is regarded as the custodian of the land.

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