… Farmers lament dearth of rain
… Govt moves to develop food system transformation pathway Farmer lament on lack of rain fall
By Hauwa Ali, Nneka Nwogwugwu and Dauda Abbas
There is rising concern among a cross-section of Nigerians about the state of agricultural products, especially food crops, on the farms across the country and a growing apprehension as to what effects this will have on the food situation in the land, NatureNews investigation has revealed.
This is as farmers blame late start of rain and lack of it in other places for the poor state of crops on the farm.
International organisations including the European Union and different UN agencies had, a couple of weeks ago, predicted that the number of people that would suffer from hunger or experience food insecurity would rise in 2023.
The global bodies had specifically listed Nigeria and five other countries in its 2023 projections to be among the countries that would be affected by severe hunger.
According to 2023 projections available for 38 of the 58 countries/territories as of March 2023, up to 153 million people (or 18 percent of the analysed population) will be in IPC/CH Phase 3 or above. In addition, around 310 000 people are projected to be in IPC/CH Phase 5 across six countries – Burkina Faso, Haiti, Mali, parts of Nigeria (26 states and the FCT), Somalia and South Sudan, with almost three quarters of them in Somalia.
Against this background, NatureNews correspondents observed that across the country especially places regarded as the food belt of the country farm products have not turned out well and in many of the places food crops like yam, corn, guinea corn and others in their likes are from nearing harvesting as expected.
It was also observed that many of these crops have not turned out well on the farms.
According to recent interviews conducted with farmers in Nigeria, climate change has had a significant impact on food production in the country.
The changing weather patterns have made it difficult for farmers to predict the onset of the rainy season and have led to a decline in crop yields. This has resulted in food shortages, higher food prices, and increased poverty among farming communities.
This is despite various predictions by government agencies to prepare farmers against this development.
Terso Terngu has a farm in one of the surrounding villages of Kuje, in the federal Capital Territory. He told NatureNews that his crops has not come out well despite his efforts and following the advice of the NiMet.
The farmer also blamed the late coming of rain and its erratic nature when it finally came for the poor turnout of crops.
Terngu said: “The rains did not come at its usual time. But this was not surprising as we had earlier been warned. When it now came, it was poor. Even up till now, rain has not been falling well. When there is no good rain, what will the plants drink and eat? How will they grow?”
Another farmer, who simply identified himself as Samuel, has a farm around Karu in Abuja.
Samuel, while speaking with our correspondent, lamented that the late rain fall would affect the masses and the quality of harvest.
He said, “Hunger may increase in the land because of the late rainfall farmers are witnessing now. Farmers need to combine the various climate adaptation strategies to increase income earning and boost food security for the teeming population.”
He said empirical evidence showed that small-holder farmers fared better when they adopt multiple climate strategies, such as diversified cropping system, use of improved seedlings, and the application of organic and inorganic fertilizers.
He, therefore, sought the adoption of one of the strategies to increase the farmers’ income, when compared to non-adoption, saying: “The highest farm income will be achieved when farmers adopt all the practices jointly, rather than partially.”
A foodstuff seller, Chinedu Aloji, in Lagos narrated his ordeal at getting the items and the surging prices. He wondered if things would ever return to normal.
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Aloji said, “Things have really gone up. Everyday we go to market we hear new prices of various items, not to talk of the cost of transportation which is very discouraging.
“The major cause of the surge is the climate conditions these days where we get excess rain and sunshine. The last time it was rain that destroyed crops and many farmers have not recovered from that loss. Even food stability is affected because the food stuffs are scarce unlike before and the scarcity is increasing the prices of the items.
“As I speak to you, in my in place in Anambra, it is excess sun that is disturbing farmers and killing their crops because rain is limited.”
Disturbed by the effects of climate change the low rate of rainfall has brought about slow farming and this will affect the period of harvest .NiMet and NEMA had already forecast a massive rain fall and which had yet to start.
Meanwhile, traders in Port Harcourt have decried scarcity of tomatoes and soaring cost of tomatoes in the market.
The traders at oil mill market, Port Harcourt told NatureNews correspondent on Saturday that before a basket of tomatoes was 2500 but now it is between 25,000 to 30, 000 Naira.
Asked if aware of reasons for the scarcity, Mrs Joseph, said that insecurity has always been the reasons her suppliers give, which is also what she believes.
Speaking to another tomato trader, he said that though this is not tomato season but the scarcity is worrisome.
NatureNews had reported that President of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Emmanuel Ijewere, had revealed that no fewer than 500 tomato farmers lost 300-hectare farm valued at N1.5 billion to tomato Ebola known as ‘Tuta Absoluta‘ ravaging farms in some parts of the country.
The affected states are mainly Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Gombe.
Ijewere described the Tuta Absoluta as an insect which builds its home under the tomato leaves.
He also stated that climate change had also enhanced the movement of pests around the field.
This is as Nigeria is set to develop the implementation strategy for Food System Transformation Pathway in order to boost security and reduce unemployment among youths and women.
Dr Sanjo Faniran, who is the National Convenor of the UN Food Systems and Director of Social Development, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, disclosed this in Abuja.
Faniran said that the strategy would address the questions of poverty, inadequate supply of nutritious food and non-consumption of minimum dietary diversity in the country.
He said it would also address stunting, chronic malnutrition, underweight, anaemia and diet-related noncommunicable diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, stroke and cancers, among others.
Faniran said that the national food systems transformation aimed to achieve some goals by 2030 as well as promote sustainable food trade, increase women’s empowerment in Agriculture Index Score, and increase Environmental Performance Index score.
The food system pathways aim to improve the productivity and sustainability of the food system while promoting health and nutrition, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing socio-economic development in Nigeria.
The implementation of these pathways requires a multi-stakeholder approach and engagement at all levels to ensure that the objectives are achieved.
To this end, he said, the ministry would hold a zonal workshop involving stakeholders in Kano on Monday and Awka, Anambra on Thursday on the development of the strategy.
He said that the workshop would be in collaboration with Kano State Government, World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation, IFAD, GAIN and AGRA.
The Kano consultation workshop is to harvest input from all the Northern States towards the development of a robust and inclusive implementation of the strategy.
Faniran said that consultation workshops would be used to harvest input of stakeholders, especially state actors in the Food System Value Chain, to strengthen and ensure an inclusive and jointly-owned Plan, taking into consideration various professional, technical and socio-economic positions of the stakeholders.
