It was on Monday, at about 9 am, when Malam Abubakar Banda, a local farmer in Lugga Village, Dange Shuni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, started harvesting his farm produce.
But unlike in the past, he was disappointed by the output. “The farm produce I harvested this year is just 50% compared to what I previously produced from my farmland, I think this is due to a shortage of rainfall and climate changes,” he lamented.
Abubakar was livid as he narrated the impact of climate change on his farm yield.
Apart from insecurity bedevilling the region, climate change is another major challenge affecting many peasant farmers in Nigeria’s northwest affecting crop productivity. It also causes increased soil erosion and spread of pests.
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Although Rainfall in Nigeria is experienced throughout the year, the most significant rainfall occurs from April to October followed by minimal rainfall from November through March.
SOKOTO HAS THREE-MONTH RAINY SEASON
In Sokoto, rainfall lasts three to four months usually from June-September with lesser rainfalls experienced than in previous years.
“Actually due to the climate changes being experienced, a lot has been affected and tempered with especially our sources of livelihood,” a vegetable farmer, Anas Umar, said. “Prior to now, the world was under our feet, we sold our numerous farm produce like Tomatoes, Pepper, Okra, and vegetables amongst others worth thousands of naira, take a look at the situation we’re in now.
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Umar’s hope of harvesting ample farm produce as it was in previous years is dashed away, “I don’t think it’ll be easy to get back to our incomes or even capital as at when we experienced the good days.”
IMPACT
Climate change threatens economic growth in sectors dependent on climatic conditions. it reflects the variations in the average daily weather conditions such as temperature, humidity, rainfall and sunshine.
Economic sectors such as agriculture, fishery and forestry are more prone to the adverse effects of climate change.
Climate change in Nigeria has led to seasons of drought and excess flood, which affected agricultural activities and caused a loss of shelter. In 2019, the National Emergency Management Agency revealed floods had displaced approximately 1.9 million Nigerians.
EXTENSION WORKERS GIVE SERVICE TO FARMERS
Responding to the climate change situation in the state, the acting coordinator of the Agricultural Development Project (SADP) in Sokoto, Malami Abubakar Magaji, said the situation did not happen by default.
He said it was a gradual process that took place which they tried to avert by sensitising and encouraging farmers to embrace new methods and improved seeds for farming.
“Most of our farmers use local varieties, which is known to have low resistance to pest, and some environmental factors such as heat and diseases, and in these regard we most times advise farmers to go for improved varieties, which are so easy to use and most times have shorter duration for yield, are resistant to certain pest and diseases and very high in productivity (return after harvest),” he said.
He further advised farmers to use the knowledge extension workers taught them to achieve their desired farm yield.
“The Agric extension workers program was designed to guide the farmers on ways to improve their farm products and outcome”.
On his part, Aliyu Isa Samama, the National President of Onion Farmers, Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), called on the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMett) to provide yearly weather forecast early to enable farmers to plan appropriately.
The renowned Agric extension service provider also advocated the deployment of more extension workers to communities so that farmers can be well informed and guided on seed varieties to be used. “It’s not too late for the government to provide seed varieties that suit the weather to farmers and information on the weather forecast for the year.
“The dry season is approaching, so the government should support with improved varieties so that farmers can support the economy through reductions of food inflation rate when sufficient food is available and to halt the demerit of climate changes,” he said.
