By Mercy Omoike
SOME crop farmers have lamented the inconsistent rainfall in the country saying that it will likely affect this year’s harvest.
The farmers said this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
The farmers noted that the reduced rainfall may have negative impact on some crops but would be advantageous to others.
The Chairman, Tomatoes Growers Association, Kaduna state, Mr Rabiu Zuntu, said though rain inconsistencies may not affect some crops but would have a general effect on the yields.
“The inconsistencies in rainfall that we have experienced this year may be advantageous to some crop and disadvantageous to others. There are various stages of growth of different crops. There are certain crops that require heavy rainfall at the beginning of cultivation, while some at the middle of cultivation and others towards the end.
“This insufficient rain we are currently experiencing will affect some crops negatively considering the ratio and the percentage of rainfall, it will affect most yields negatively.
“Generally, insufficient rainfall will affect the yield and output of many crops. Crops like maize, cassava, beans and others will be affected by these insufficient rainfalls we are currently experiencing,” Zuntu said.
He also noted that tomatoes require rains at the early stage and mid of cultivation but not at the end stage of cultivation.
“Tomatoes require enough rains after transplanting and the flowering stage but not at the end stage. Once we are almost getting ready for harvest, tomatoes do not require much rain.
“For farmers up North, going for irrigation systems at this time is nearly impossible, because most of the farms have no reservoir or dams where the farmers can channel the water to their farms,” he said.
On his part, Mr Omotunde Banjoko, agriculture analyst, called on farmers to move away from seasonal farming to irrigated farming.
“Definitely, this current climate condition will affect our harvest and once crops growth are stunted, definitely they will not get to full maturity.
“With these inconsistent rains, when you expect to harvest three to four tonnes of a crop, the farmers end up harvesting 0.5 tonnes. The reduced rainfall will affect our yields because the bulk of our farms are not irrigated because the cost of irrigation is not cheap.
“What we should learn from this inconsistent rain is that climate change is real and that we should start investing in irrigated kits. However, smallholder farmers cannot afford this and that is why we still rely on seasonal farming,” Banjoko said.
He also urged the government to invest in irrigated farming to help boost crop production.
“The government should start funding kits for irrigation so we can have our crops all year round. We should also activate all our river basins as promised by the Presidency, so the waters can now be channelled to the farms for irrigation farming.
“We should start working on how we can maximise our water bodies for farming purposes. This will definitely increase our yields and subsequently reduce high cost of food,” he said.
However, Mr Uche Ikenga, a crop farmer, said the inconsistent rain was beneficial to some crops as it had forestalled flooding.
“The rains are gradually coming back up north and we are encouraged by the tempered manner the rain is coming. The deluge is not here yet. The current consistency of the rain is not destructive. This is something we are glad about.
“What the rain is dropping the crops can absorb, if we have this slightly low pattern of rainfall, it will really help our crops this year. With this rain patterns, that means we will have a good harvest by September or October,” Ikenga said. (NAN)
