Farmer Lament Rainfall Delay, Warns of food Scarcity
A Farmers has expressed concern over the delay in the coming of the 2021 rainy season in some parts of the country adding that it would negatively affect the year’s food production.
Uchenna Ikenga, an organic farmer who spoke to newsmen on Friday in Lagos, blamed the present climate change realities for the delayed rainfall in the country, that the variances in rainfall between the Southern and the Northern regions of the country would affect crop harvests and food security during the year.
In his words, “With the delayed rains in some part of the country it means we cannot massively harvest crops this year because some farmers may not begin planting until June.
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“This delay in turn will affect food security in the country and it is an indication that climate change realities are beginning to get worse. The delay in rainfall last year affected the planting season as planting of major crops had to be delayed also.
“Farmers like to experience turnover of their crops within the year, for example, planting corn two or three times in a year, but delayed rainfall will make this impossible. Farmers in the Southwest can start farming because the soil has been softened by the few rains it has experienced.
“However farmers in the Northern region of the country cannot start planting yet as they are yet to witness any rainfall this year,” he said.
READ ALSO: UK to Support Nigeria to tackle Climate Challenges
Mr. Ikenga however, urged farmers to shift from the nation’s culture of rain-fed agriculture system to irrigation system as this will boost crop harvest but it is also cost intensive.
“Farmers can use irrigation systems to help their farming activities but this is usually cost intensive that they may not be able to sustain in the long run.
“Climate change has really affected the planting season this year. We need funds, innovation and government’s intervention to help farmers. He added.
He appealed to the government to work more closely with farmers if we are really serious about food security in the nation.
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