Agricultural experts have urged farmers to plant early-maturing seeds and not to worry about the erratic rains across the country.
The experts made this statement on Monday in Bauchi and said there was no need to raise concerns about the rains.
They added that the erratic rainfall in some parts of the country has instilled fears among farmers.
Mr. Daniel Abarshi, the Director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Bauchi, urged the farmers not to entertain fears as they were still within the planting period.
He mentioned that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) had predicted earlier than long-term average rainfall onset dates across the country in 2023.
“We shouldn’t be afraid as farmers, especially those of us in the northern part of the country. We need to plant early-maturing seeds to mitigate the costs of early cessation of rainfall,” he said.
Abarshi advised the farmers to pray and plant early-maturing varieties of seeds as part of measures to handle the early cessation of rainfall.
Dr. Iliyasu Gital, a former manager of the Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme, also urged the farmers to go for early and medium-maturing crops.
“Try to plant crops such as maize, sorghum, soybeans, and millet, among others, that mature early as the way out in terms of seed selection,” he suggested.
Mr. Midalla Sulaiman, a Lecturer at the College of Agriculture in Bauchi, noted that this year’s rain pattern might come with insects and pests that could attack crops planted by farmers.