Dry Season Farming: ‘Delayed Rains Could Affect Farmers’

Consequent upon the
delay in the rains setting in 2014, farmers in some part of Rivers State are becoming apprehensive if the trend continues much longer.
For Geofrey Ikogha, a renowned farmer and paramount ruler of Igboama, Ogbogolo in the Ahoada West Local Government Area of the state, the development has made him do a couple of replanting of some of his crops.
According to him, he planted cassava as was his custom between October and November 2013 but unfortunately the cuttings dried up due to the excessive heat.
“I use to plant my cassava as from October but now I have replanted because most of the cassava cuttings, I put in the ground have dried up”, he lamented.
The story was the same for farmers who spoke to our correspondent across some communities in Abua, Ahoada, Elele, amongst others.
They expressed regret that the improved cassava cuttings that the Rivers State government provided for them during the Growth Programme Enhancement Scheme (GES) last year were being wasted.
Shedding more light on the issue, an agricultural engineer, Umor Ekpelu who spoke to our correspondent said if the rains did not fall, most crops already planted would not do well.
He explained that the only option left for the farmers was to replant.
“It means you will replant because the crops will definitely dry up, since they could have been planted between October and November.
Engr. Ekpelu  highlighted that the best time to plant crops especially cassava was between October and November to enable the crops use water from the last raining season.
According to him, since irrigation was not practiced in the Southern part of the country the farmers had no option but to contend with the elements, both favourable and unfavourable.
“Since we don’t irrigate, if we are irrigating then irrigation cold solve that problem” he said.
He expressed concern in the event that the dry season was prolonged, even as he said if the dry season was prolonged it would definitely affect the crops that have already been planted.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Mrs Ibokun Odusote, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina and Director, Extension Services, Mr Damil Ola Eniaiyeju, at the inauguration of 800 motorcycles to revamp agricultural extension services across the nation in Abuja, yesterday.