Dean, Faculty of Agriculture in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Professor Boma Oruwari, has called on farmers affected by flood to take advantage of the dry season by planting early to enable them meet the challenges posed by the flood.

Prof. Oruwari who stated this in a telephone interview with our correspondent recently, said since the ground was still wet, the farmers’ crops planted early would do well.

He said despite the fact that the federal government had promised to come to their aid, it was important they don’t wait till the government fulfils such promises.

“The federal government is already doing something because they said they would support dry season farming to enable crop production to continue” he said.

While expressing optimism that the rains would set in early, he advised that the farmers should not wait for the places where the flood has left to dry up.

“The rain is forthcoming and the places where the flood has gone are drying fast” he said.

He said farmers should concentrate on crops that were adaptable to them.

According to him “we are adaptable to cassava, yam and other leafy vegetables and the time to plant them is now” he said.

On the provision of food by the government to farmers who lost their farms and crops to the flood, the university don said although government easily takes such actions, the people (farmers) should help themselves by  going to the field early enough.

“This is the thing government easily does, but for us here what we should concern ourselves is to plant to complement the government largesse” he said.

While acknowledging that the federal government’s irrigation programmes does not favour the southern part of the country, Prof. Oruwari advised that we should take solace in the abundance of rain as compared to the Northern part of the country.