NIMET Cautions Farmers Over Low Rainfall

The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), has disclosed that most parts of the country will experience below normal rain in 2017.
NIMET in a statement obtained by The Tide from Agro Nigeria on Monday disclosed that the situation will pose a challenge to food production in the affected states.
While unveiling the 2017 (SRP), seasonal rainfall prediction compiled by NIMET in Abuja, the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, charged farmers and other stakeholders in the agric and aviation sectors to take the recommendations contained in the report seriously.
The SRP report stated that rain-fed agricultural production in Nigeria this year is needed to be backed up by irrigation.
The report added that this will enable farmers achieve bumper harvest, apart from the provision of good seeds, fertilizers and other necessary inputs.
“The expected below normal rainfall will pose challenge to enhance food production and the federal government’s policy on agriculture and food security as a business towards foreign exchange earnings,” the report noted.
It also warned that farmers who wish to cultivate crops such as maize and other cereals twice during the season may face some challenges due to the predictions. Farmers were also urged to choose the appropriate varieties of such seedlings and undertake water catchment measures.
“Governments should therefore take these predictions seriously to enable the agency meet its projections in the current policy,” it added.