Jacinta Chisom OguadinmaFarmers in some parts of Anambra State have expressed concerns about the lack of rainfall as the situation may affect planting and farm yields.
In an interview with Prime Business Africa (PBA) on Thursday, some farmers in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state expressed deep worries regarding the situation.
“I am deeply worried over this whole thing. So far, no raindrops. Last week, I had to go to the farm only to discover that the yams I planted had been damaged inside the soil because of heat. For that reason, I will have to buy new yams to plant which is something I have never done before,” Mrs Confidence Nkech, a farmer in the area said. Her experience is similar to many farmers who have no option but to replant.
Mr John, who is battling with grasshoppers, said the pests did not also spare other crops like maize and groundnut, as they ate them up.
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Mr Ifeanyi Obi and David Abah in Owah farmland said armyworms are also damaging maize besides the grasshoppers and they fear that it will lead to poor harvest. Many maize farms are said to have been affected by the long absence of rain and armyworm invasion.
According to an investigation, many hectares of maize farms have been damaged by the worms, which the farmers said had defied the solution so far.
“This year, I wanted to plant maize but I’m not doing maize again because its price in the market now is far less than the cost it will take you to produce. For you to have good yield that will reduce the cost of production, you have to spend more on fertilizer because even the soil these days is weak,” Mr Ifeanyi stated.
Speaking on the cost of inputs, a farmer, Mr Mmaduabuchukwu in Abatete Anambra State, told PBA that even Fertiliser was becoming more expensive “as a bag of Indorama fertilizer and Notore has gone so high in price which is a big challenge to all farmers who are planting and replanting because when you put together the cost of fertilizer, seeds, agrochemicals, and labor, I don’t think a small farmer can really make any profit.”
Mrs Hope Ofornna, a teacher who engages in subsistence farming, voiced her concern about the situation. “Each time I go to check my crops, I pity their state because they are starved of water,” she lamented.
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Also, Peter Oguadi, whose livelihood depends on his farm yield, expressed fears about the looming food insecurity if the dry spell continues. “The delayed rains might affect the yield for this year,” he said.
While praying and seeking God’s intervention, the farmer equally called on the government to come to their aid to remedy the situation.
