Inconsistent rainfall: Experts call for full adoption of irrigation
Some agriculture experts have called for full adoption of irrigation to tackle delayed and inconsistent rainfall.
The experts made the call in separate interviews on Tuesday in Lagos state.
Following the delayed rainfall in the current farming season, the experts reiterated the importance of irrigation to boost productivity.
Dr Issa Fadllulah, a fellow at the National Agriculture Extension Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), said without irrigation the country would be paying lip service to the growth of the agriculture sector.
According to him, agriculture is weather dependent and anytime there is an issue with weather, it will no doubt affect cultivation and harvest.
“If there is delay in rain or the rainfall is inconsistent, not all crops can survive because they have different requirements to thrive.
“If we want to make any meaningful progress in agriculture, we must go fully into irrigation and depend less on rain-fed agriculture,” he said.
He explained that with irrigation, farmers could cultivate crops like corn, even up to four times a year.
“You can imagine the quantum of food we will be producing if we go fully irrigated.
“Unfortunately, I think we are still paying lip service to agriculture in this country by not adopting irrigation fully.
“In countries like Saudi Arabia and Dubai, where they do not have water or where it rarely rains, yet they are producing greens all year round.
“These countries are turning deserts into farmlands through irrigation,” Fadllulah said.
Also, Mrs Chahul Ngizan, Coordinator, Nigerian Association of Women In Agriculture, said this year’s planting season was a bit delayed due to the late rains.
“In some areas in the country the rains had already started in early April. Though the rain did not start as early as it should, it should have begun in early March.
“We usually begin the planting season early in March, but this year most farmers began planting in April.
“This year there was a bit of delay but we started planting in April. Personally I have planted my yams, cassava and presently I am planting groundnuts.
“We hope the rain continues as scheduled or else it will affect this year’s harvest. However in areas where there is no rainfall, we advise farmers not to begin planting,” Ngizan said.
She, however, noted that, “With the inconsistency in rainfall patterns, farmers should start investing in irrigated farming.
“With irrigation the farmers can plant all through the year without dependence on the rainfall patterns.”
On her part, Mrs Antonia Amakwe, Lagos state coordinator Women in Trade and Agriculture (AWITA), said the government should help local farmers with the irrigation system to boost crop cultivation.
“We have been expecting consistent rainfall since March; farmers have been very hopeful that before now, the rain must have begun.
“We hope the rain begins and it is consistent to enable the crops do well. Now that it started in April, we hope it stays for some time,” she said.
According to her, the delay in rainfall this year may not necessarily delay harvest, but hopes for continuity.
“We have been calling on the government over the years to help farmers with irrigated farming to reduce dependence on rain.
“Irrigation is the only solution to inconsistency in rainfall patterns; so that we can have all year round crop cultivation,” Amakwe said.
NAN / Foluke Ibitomi
