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How Oyo Women Farmers Respond to NiMet 2021 Weather Forecast
How Oyo Women Farmers Respond to NiMet 2021 Weather Forecast
News analysis by Ibukun Emiola, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Nigerian Meteorological Agency
At the start of the planting season, farmers in the Oke-Ogun region of Oyo state expressed concern over the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) prediction that the rains will stop at the start of the season. 2021 and how to proceed with the development.
Adewale Ajeyomi
The agency’s area director for the southwest, Mr. Adewale Ajeyomi, had previously advised women to use climate-smart solutions to overcome the early cessation of the rains.
He said: “There has been a change in the weather system due to climate change caused by development everywhere, buildings and all kinds affect wind patterns, temperature and many other things. Deforestation is part of the problem of climate change.
Ajeyomi noted that the northern part of Oyo state, the Saki region, which is on the outskirts of Ibadan, would experience fluctuations in weather according to recent forecasts from NiMet.
“This means that the temperature can be a bit warmer, and during the rainy season, they are going to experience periods of drought. It is expected to rain, but at some point the rain will stop.
“Farmers can plant according to their normal pattern this time around, with the exception of the Oke-Ogun areas, which is the northern fringe of Ibadan.
“Farmers need to use climate smart solutions; they should be climate smart, do some irrigation or get our newsletter or updates from our office or on our website, weekly or sometimes daily updates to guide their activities. ”
Small Scale Farmers Organization of Nigeria
To fight against the scourge, the small farmers of the platform of the Small Scale Farmers Organization of Nigeria (SWOFON), learned the techniques of irrigated agriculture.
Musilatu Ashiru
Regardless of this initiative, Ms Musilatu Ashiru, leader of Saki East SWOFON, said: “We practice irrigated agriculture by hand. We wet the plants ourselves because we lack modern technology to grow a proper irrigation crop.
“We need water; so we want boreholes to continue irrigated agriculture, we plant vegetables, tomatoes and pepper. For irrigated agriculture, you can have pepper all year round.
“We should have been cultivating our land for yam planting since last year, but most people haven’t been able to cultivate their land since last year let alone plant yam and the rainfall. irregularities have started again, ”she said.
Alimotu Sulaiman
In addition, Alimotu Sulaiman, coordinator of SWOFON in the local government area of Iseyin, said farmers in the area want to be equipped to practice irrigated agriculture.
She said: “Irrigated agriculture is practiced by farmers in the North; nothing prevents us from practicing the same thing here in the south.
“What we plan to do is acquire land for agriculture and install equipment for irrigated agriculture, which is what we want.”
Yemisi Ojeleye of the Garri
Recounting his ordeal during the 2020 agricultural season, Yemisi Ojeleye of the Garri processing plant in Oje Owode, in the Saki East local government area of the state, said that the poor yield of the last season of plantation had had a negative effect on production.
She said, “As we run out of cassava supply from farmers, it affects our work and then drives up the price of Garri.
“There are more than 200 women working in this processing plant. But the cassava shortage has reduced the number of women coming to work. ”
Latifat Muritala
In addition, Latifat Muritala, a small farmer in the local government area of Olorunsogo East, said: during the planting season in 2020 ”.
Beyond forecasts and their implications for agricultural activities, Nigerian farmers are calling for sustainable solutions to the effects of climate change.
Jide Oguntokun
Jide Oguntokun, a large-scale farmer in Ido, Oke Owa and Lanlate, said climate change has affected his livelihoods so much.
“The government is asking people, especially young people, to go to the farm, but there are issues that need to be addressed if farming will be productive for the people in the business. We need to look at how to support agricultural initiatives.
“We have to start looking at 2021 for food sufficiency because COVID-19 will only be a minor thing in the face of impending famine and famine to come,” he said.
University of Ibadan
To corroborate this, a climatologist from the University of Ibadan, Professor Ibidun Adelekan, said: “If the seasons are delayed, it will affect agricultural production and good yield.
Geographic Information System
However, Geographic Information System analyst David Afolayan said that a major solution is the need for public-private partnerships that will promote climate-smart farming techniques that take advantage of geographic information systems technology ( GIS).
“Since climate change is caused by human activities over a long period of time, efforts should be made to ensure climate friendly practices and tree planting to correct damage to the ozone layer, thus reducing the adverse effects of climate on nature.
“There is also a need for collaboration to merge technology with native intelligence to overcome current climatic conditions to optimize crop planting.
“This will allow us to predict when farmers will be able to plant and have seeds adapted to the climate; which means they have been modified to adapt to climate change, ”Afolayan said. (NANFeatures)
** If used, please credit the author as well as the Nigerian News Agency (NAN)
(NAN)
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