The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kaduna chapter, has urged the federal government to distribute agricultural inputs early for dry-season farming to boost food security and farmers’ earnings.

Nuhu Aminu, the association’s chairman, made the appeal in an interview in Zaria on Wednesday.

Mr Aminu said timely distribution of inputs under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) would help farmers mitigate the effects of declining rainfall and early cessation of rains during the 2026 wet season.

He said the association, in collaboration with NAGS-AP, planned to support 15,000 farmers across Kaduna in dry-season rice and maize production.

Speaking on the impact of the dry spell, Muawiya Nuhu, a farmer in Zaria, said prolonged intervals between rainfall had significantly affected crop yields in parts of the state.

Mr Nuhu said rainfall was less frequent this year than last year, with intervals of two to three weeks without rain, affecting crops that required consistent soil moisture, particularly rice and maize. He said late-planted rice, upland rice, maize, sorghum and beans were among the affected crops, adding that farmers in some communities might record lower yields than in the previous farming season.

According to him, the effects were more pronounced in Soba, Ikara, Makarfi and parts of Giwa council areas, while farmers in Igabi, Lere and Kauru experienced less severe effects.

Mr Nuhu said although some farmers received government support, the interventions often came after they had suffered considerable losses, stressing that timely assistance was critical to improving productivity and reducing crop failures.

He urged policymakers to involve farmers and recognised associations such as AFAN in agricultural planning to ensure that interventions addressed their needs and reached beneficiaries before planting seasons commenced.

The farmer also called for climate-resilient, early-maturing crop varieties to help farmers adapt to changing weather conditions and shorter periods of adequate rainfall. He said improved seeds, fertilisers and other essential inputs should be distributed before planting, while agricultural extension services should be strengthened to provide farmers with timely weather information and appropriate farming advice.

Mr Nuhu lamented the shortage of agricultural extension workers, noting that some officers covered two or three local government areas without adequate transportation and other equipment to reach farmers effectively.

He urged governments to recruit more extension personnel and engage experienced farmers to disseminate agricultural information, adding that stronger collaboration among farmers, researchers and policymakers would improve food production and rural livelihoods.

(NAN)