From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government has decried the dissent of most farmers in yielding to the prediction of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), which has led to poor food production.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari stated this yesterday in Abuja, at the unveiling of NiMET Cropping Calendar for Selected Crops.
Kyari contended that the conventional wisdom and knowledge adopted by farmers to grow crops no longer subsist in the world that is gradually ravaged by climate change phenomenon.
The minister reminded farmers that addressing the challenges of climate change required the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices, development of climate-resilient crop varieties, improvement water management techniques, and enhancement of early warning systems for extreme weather events.
Kyari said: “Regrettably, there have been farming seasons in Nigeria when farmers did not take advantage of the institutional advice from NIMET, and on their own misread the rainfall pattern, only to face dry spells that invariably ruined their crops and livelihoods.
“It is clearly the case now that the native knowledge and wisdom on which small-holder farmers often relied to cultivate their fields are inadequate under the relentless impact of climate change.
“Accordingly, managing climate risks in the agriculture sector through climate information and early warning services are important tools.
“In other words, integrating meteorological information as part of support services to agricultural production helps reduce losses to extreme weather events and also take advantage to maximize the benefits of favourable weather.
“Overall, climate change poses significant risks to food security by reducing crop yields, increasing food prices, and disrupting supply chains, particularly in vulnerable regions with limited adaptive capacity.
“Addressing these challenges requires a combination of adaptation strategies, such as implementing sustainable agricultural practices, developing climate-resilient crop varieties, improving water management techniques, and enhancing early warning systems for extreme weather events.
NiMET Director General, Professor Charles Anoseki, disclosed that between 2021-2024, over 800 farmers have been women trained as agro-prenuers on the application of the Seasonal Climate Prediction for Agricultural production with the distribution of crop weather calendar and Livestock comfortability Index.
“Seasonal Climate Prediction is crucial to the agriculture sector where weather forecasts can help inform farmers about upcoming weather conditions, allowing them to adjust planting schedules, optimize irrigation, and apply inputs more efficiently, thereby reducing resource waste while improving crop yields and increasing productivity,” Anosike added.