The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos State chapter, has called for increased irrigation financing to enable farmers to cultivate crops all year round.

The AFAN Lagos State chairman, Sakin Agbayewa, made the call in an interview with journalists on Wednesday in Lagos.

Mr Agbayewa urged local farmers to shift from rain-fed agriculture to irrigated farming to ensure continuous cultivation and improve food production.

“We have a rain-fed agriculture system and most farmers have no capital to adopt irrigation solutions or technology.

“There is nothing our farmers can do to ensure all-year-round farming without proper irrigation systems. Farmers have to wait for the rain before they commence cultivation.

“However, with current climate change realities, planting is no longer predictable.

“As we speak, we are in the August break, which started in the middle of July, and we are still in it right now.

“We don’t know when it’s going to end. And if the rain comes back, you might even be seeing the rain till December.

“That is another shift again in the cultivation timetable,” Mr Agbayewa said.

According to the chairman, Nigeria’s reliance on rain-fed agriculture has contributed to the classification of some crops as seasonal.

“Who told us that these crops are seasonal? There is no research that says some crops are seasonal.

“However, because most local farmers practise rain-fed agriculture due to a lack of finance, technological know-how or technological advantage, we have decided that there are seasonal crops.

“I would advise that we should begin to think out of the box and do all-year-round planting once we have the capacity to do it.

“We can create our own water irrigation system if the government comes to the aid of local farmers financially,” he said.

Mr Agbayewa said about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s farming population comprised subsistence farmers, while the remaining 30 per cent were commercial farmers.

He added that women constituted about 80 per cent of subsistence farmers, while men accounted for the remaining 20 per cent.

“So, how many farmers have the financial capacity to go for irrigation?

“The government should come into it and talk to the banks, or have specialised institutions that will handle irrigation financing for farmers.

“Our lands can serve as collateral for us, so farmers will be able to access irrigation equipment and increase their production.

“With proper irrigation systems, Nigeria will be able to have all-year-round crop cultivation while addressing food insecurity,” he said.

(NAN)