In many parts of Southern Nigeria where there is usually more rainfall, this year, farmers say the rains ceased earlier than expected and inadequate when more showers were needed whereas in the North, which usually does not get as much rain, farmers are anticipating bountiful harvests, except for places where the rains are leading to floods damaging their farms.
In the south, there was a “strange stoppage of rainfall in July ahead of the usual August breaks,” said Femi Abioye, co-founder/CEO, Agricmedia. This he says has caused “severe damage to crops”, and mostly affecting Plantain, Soybeans, Maize, Groundnuts, Vegetables (Tomatoes and Cucumbers). It also affected Cash Crops seedling production, as commercial farmers could not plant cash crops when due to loss of already planted cash Crop seedlings in July.
“It rained on Sunday in our area and my GM called me as he was very excited and happy,” said Dapo Awofisayo, executive director at Irẹlẹ Oil Palm Company in an interview. The call from an excited manager at the company’s almost 4,000-hectare palm cultivation represented how desperate millions of farmers are eagerly looking forward to rainfall.
Reliance on rain fed agriculture is one of the main factors undermining agricultural production in Nigeria, as noted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). However, for millions of farmers, it is the only way of getting farms watered. When the rains are too much, it also results in flooding for some who could end up losing their investments.
In Obafemi Owode area of Ogun state, Jide West, CEO, JK West Farms Limited told BusinessDay he lost more than 70 percent of his 20 hectare cocoa cultivation due to inadequate rainfall. Whereas in Kebbi state, it was reported that farmers had lost “about N1 billion worth of rice and other farms produce to ravaging flood recorded in different parts of the state”.
Kabir Ibrahim, president, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) noted in a phone interview, that while some areas have long breaks of rain, some are dealing with flash floods.
“In the areas where the rains are not effectively falling there could be a problem with the food system. In areas where the rains are creating havoc, the farmers are losing their investments,” said Ibrahim.
Nigerian farmers often monitor the rainfall patterns of April to July and September to October/November for their crop farming and production, noted Abioye.
In 2020, he explains the rain was not stable as at April, making some farmers lose crops planted with the 1st and 2nd rainfall as they were hoping the raining season has commenced.
“It is something that has affected almost all farmers,” said Abioye, who thinks it signals “looming food scarcity and increased agri commodities cost by 2021 if the situation does not improve”.
For Ibrahim of AFAN, Farmers were cautioned about the long breaks in rainfall since February when it was indicated that the rains were not going to be steady.
“Farmers that heeded the advice planted when the rains really started and took care not to plant in flood plains so that they will have a good harvest. Those who didn’t heed to this of course will suffer,” he said.
However, as Awofisayo stressed, “the rain has nothing to do with the federal or state government. It is one of the effects of climate change”.
“We haven’t experienced that much rain even during the rainy season this year”, he said, emphasising the need to key into the efforts of people who are clamouring for cut-down in emissions and other causes of climate change. “The more we can cut down our pollution as a country, the more it will help the global efforts towards reducing the impact of climate change,” he said.
