Farmers in the Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have expressed concerns over excess rainfall likely to damage crops, reduce yields, and aggravate food insecurity across the country.

The farmers told journalists in separate interviews in Nasarawa on Tuesday.

Climate change and variability affecting weather patterns and resulting in continuous rainfall in Nigeria have raised fears among farmers and agricultural experts.

They worry that ongoing rainfall could impact harvests and exacerbate food insecurity across the country.

A farmer in the Nasarawa Local Government Area, Tama Shawulu, noted that excessive rainfall could deplete essential nutrients from the soil, hinder plant growth, and ultimately destroy crops.

He said, “The rain keeps falling, and you cannot question God’s will. We are concerned because while some crops thrive with extended rainfall, others do not.  We don’t want to lose crops that prefer moderate or controlled rainfall due to the excess rain.’

Another farmer, Azaki Yusuf, shared a similar view, adding that if the excessive rainfall continued, some crops would be damaged and others might yield poorly.

“The issue is that we planted sesame, and if this excessive rain persists, it will ruin the sesame and other crops such as beans, which do not tolerate too much rain. With this situation, there will be food shortages in the country,” he said.

Amos Audi also expressed concerns, warning that continuous heavy rainfall could damage crops in the fields, with some crops producing poor yields.

He explained that prolonged rain affects crop selection, causing delays in planting alternative crops, noting that flooding could wash away soil nutrients and further damage crop yields.

A Professor of Agronomy and Soil Science at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Olumuyiwa Jaiyeoba, attributed the continuous rainfall to climate change and seasonal variations, which are difficult to predict statistically.

He warned that current rainfall patterns could worsen the current food crisis, already exacerbated by insurgency, farmer-herder conflicts, and other criminal activities, especially in Northern Nigeria. 

(NAN)