Editorial: Farming seasons: Need to take rainfall predictions serious

The impact of climate change on social economic activities of any nation especially in food security matter cannot be over emphasised more importantly where adequate precautions are not taken before time to control drainages and other provision of new improved technologies that can easily resist  drought and plenty rainfall. As we are expecting the new release of Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) for year 2021 slated tentatively early February in view of Covid -19 pandemic protocol permits, it will not be out of place to quickly remind ourselves of the importance the forecast portend to our farming and other economic activities in the new year so as to mitigate likely huge loses that could arise if precautions are not taken earlier enough.

No doubt, the year 2020 was a turbulent one with climate change challenges that negatively affected farmers with flood in the Northern part, and drought in the South coupled with worldwide Covid-19 pandemic disease that ensued economic lockdown of many nations including Nigeria where social distancing protocol of movement restriction greatly affected farming activities for the year.

In his message at the last year SRP, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika had said that ‘’ Attitude to climate and awareness of its uncertainty have changed over time, however, this is more evident during the 21^st century. Climate change will continue to increase existing risks and create new risks for natural systems and humans if major steps are not taken to stem the anthropogenic activities that set off the changes. The associated risks arising from climate change are usually unevenly distributed and generally greater for disadvantaged people and communities at all levels of development. Additionally, climate has continued to be a threat to sustainable development goals and it is against this backdrop that every effort towards mitigating the effects through early warning system should be the concern of every government. Climate outlooks are one of the veritable tools for planning and decision making in climate sensitive sectors to reduce the associated risks’’

In line with above, it would not be out to place to remind ourselves on the need to put farmers and other stakeholders on their toes towards conscious awareness to weather prediction before embarking on any farming activities in the new year that has started with extremely hot temperature with dryness and early rainfall in this January in some part of Lagos and Ekiti states. The extension services department of the states must by now be prepared to actively help farmers with best agronomics practices and new improved technologies to cope these challenges while the use of insurance cover to mitigate losses must be widely sensitized.

Findings jointly carried out by Oxfam Nigeria and the West Africa Network for Peace-building Nigeria (WANEP), an NGO also showed that Nigeria’s economic productivity could decrease by up to 11% and up to 30% by 2050 as result of climate change negative impacts, coupled with the farmers limited access to improved technologies and best agronomics practices that can help the matters towards food security.  

It will be recalled despite early SRP release for the last year planting seasons that majority farmers suffered huge losses due to flood and drought occasioned by climate change challenges as billion of naira investment on farming activities as states like Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, and Kastina were submerged, just as many crops in some states in the Southern Nigeria also recorded losses running to billions of naira in the same year due to drought. 

With all these previous experiences as properties and agricultural produce  worth billions are destroyed, it is therefore expedient particularly for the Government at all levels and other stakeholders to  ensure that SRP be given ultimate priority for  socio economic activities planning for the year 2021 in order to avoid the sad experiences of the past years. Many farmers during our tour to some states shared their pathetic story of losses to both flood and droughts that measures must be taken against in this New Year so as to ensure sustainable food security for the current year.