Rivers Farmers Predict Bumper Harvest

Farmers in Rivers state have described 2011 as a year of bumper harvest due to the climate change which resulted to early rainfall in the Niger Delta region this year.

Also, they reasoned that with the heavy harmattan weather which started November last year and ended January this year was strong indications that investment in agriculture especially crops farming would bring good harvest.

Some of the farmers who spoke in exclusive interview with The Tide in Etche and Omuma Local Government Areas, Rivers state said that their prediction was anchored on the fact that there was delayed harmattan weather and rainfall in 2009/2010 farming season in the region which led to poor harvest last year.

Mr. Stephen Onyeche, a farmer at Umudike-Umuogba in Omuma Local Government Area said that the climate change led to early cultivation of farmland in the community, thereby stimulating agricultural activities among rural farmers.

According to him, farming activities began early this year as against 2009/2010 farming season in the community due to early rainfall and heavy harmattan which acts as natural fertilizer to the farm land.

Mr. Onyeche who said, he specialises on crops farming such as yam and cassava blamed the recent reports of food scarcity threatening the country on lack of government’s encouragement to rural farmers and exodus of farming age among the youths to urban cities for white-collar jobs.

While commending Rivers state government under Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi for his policy in aggressive development of agriculture in the state, he appealed to the state government to encourage rural farmers with soft loans, grants and implements to enable them produce sufficient food for the teeming population.

Also, Mr. Emmanuel Nwanjoku from Etche Local Government Area told The Tide at Okehi, headquarters of  Etche LGA that farmers expect good harvest this year as a result of climate change which led to early rainfall and harmattan which he claimed was favourable for agriculture particularly rural farmers.

Mr. Nwanjoku who holds the title of  Ezeji (King of  Yam) disclosed that the problem of rural farmers is lack of government encouragement and inability of farmers to access agricultural loans from financial institutions in the country.

He, however, acknowledged the presence of Fadama III programme for Co-operative rural farmers in the Niger Delta region but said enough needs to be done to encourage farmers to obtain loans, grants and farming implements from governments at all levels.

Again, he appealed to Rivers State government to prevail on local government councils in the state to procure fertiliser for rural farmers at subsidised cost to enable them produce more food for the teeming population.

Isaac Nwankwo