‘Harmattan, Ideal For Land Preparation’

The General Secretary of
Egbeda Farmers Cooperatives, Mr John Clement, has debunked the belief that the harmattan season has negative effects on farming activities.
Clement, a renowned plantain and pineapple farmer in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, while making the assertion to The Tide yesterday in a telephone interview said despite the dryness occasioned by the harmattan, the period was ideal for land preparation.
He explained that farmers do not have any problems with burning the brush after clearing unlike what happens during the wet season.
However, clement who acknowledged the fact that the issue of dryness would naturally arise at the planting stage advised farmers to have solace in the abundance of dew that is associated with the season.
“If they plant now, it is not likely to affect their crops because there is still dew and it will enable the crops to germinate”, he said. He explained that there are certain crops like pineapple and their likes that do well during the dry season. He advised farmers with large farms to use ploughing and water cans to enable them water their crops. According to him, large scale farmers in Egbeda were into the practice as it was paying off.
“They connect the water to the tap, pump water and spray and the practice is gaining ground in the area already,” he said.
Clement said one of the major challenges for farmers generally is that the rains do not come on time, adding that unless farmers use artificial methods, waiting for natural water may cause a huge set back.
He said the community has a good road network that enables them evacuate their produce promptly.