By Olamide Francis
Farmers in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State are in lamentations over their loss in the 2020 planting season as a result of a failed flood forecast and lack of government input, which they claimed might cause maize scarcity in 2021.
Read More: Police arrest Sowore, others on New Year eve
The Association of Farm Settlers, Ipapo-Iseyin branch made this disclosure at the weekend after an emergency meeting they held to address the plight of their members who they said had lost millions of naira to the drought that affected maize farming in the outgoing year.
The farmers claimed many of them had decided against planting maize this year, due to unstable rainfall, but later went into planting immediately the federal and Oyo State governments started a flood forecast campaign, which they thought would come to pass.
In a statement signed by their chairman, Mr Alabi Kazeem, dated Saturday 26, December, which was made available to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, the body claimed its members immediately went to access loans from commercial banks and from private individuals when they heard about the heavy rain forecast, which they believed would assist in late maize planting.
“Many of our members have decided against planting maize this year because of the poor and unstable rainfall heard of the forecast from the Federal Government through the meteorology department as well as the rigorous campaign from Oyo State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, that there would be lot of rain towards the end of October and November and sought for the fund to plant maize.
“It is very unfortunate that the failed forecast led to a staggering loss to our members; they lost millions in bank loans and borrowing from family and friends to plant maize. Many cannot even pass by their farms to see the withered maize farms; we are so hurt by this occurrence.”