Farmers in Rivers State
have been advised to be very couscous with fire sources to avoid wide-spread fire that could destroy farm lands and crops, particularly during this harmattan period.
The chairman, Etche Farmers Co-operative Association, Mr Godwin Akandu made the call Monday in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Akandu said the call has  become necessary in view of regrettably large scale damages caused by such fire outbreaks in parts of the state last year.
He said, “crops worth millions of naira and virgin farmlands not mature for cultivation were lost and noted that such development is a setback to farmers and urged all and sundry to handle fire sources with care to avoid such fire incidents.
The associations boss warned farmers who were in the harbit of burning bushes and heap of stumps to ensure that the fire so set, be watched patiently until it dies down before leaving the scene to avoid being taken unaware.
He equally advised them to be part of the campaign against fire outbreak in their various communities, as a way of sensitising people on the issue.
Apart from damages done to farmland and farm crops, he said houses and valuable properties had been lost to avoidable fire outbreaks and advised cigarette smokers to be careful how they dispose the butt of the cigarettes.
“it is only when all concerned, take deliberate measures that such fire outbreaks can be avoided. We have lost so much because of flooding and fire and I believe the best way to go about it is to be part of the campaign,” he stated.

Chris Oluoh