Gombe farmers raise alarm over erratic rainfall

Farmers in Gombe State have expressed concern over erratic rainfall impacting crop production in the state.

A cross section of the farmers, who spoke in separate interviews with NAN on Wednesday, described the situation as frustrating and alarming.

Mrs Joy Ayuba, a maize grower, expressed apprehension over the inadequate rains, adding that her plantation wilted in the past few weeks

She said that she planted millet and maize in the first week of June, lamenting that the absence of rains in June resulted in the wilting of the crops.

“We witnessed rainfall only twice in June and it stopped. This is really bad as many farmers are already counting losses,” she said.

Another farmer, Hassan Kwami, said the unpredictability and rainfall pattern was a source of concern to the farmers and threat to food sufficiency.

He said that farmers in the Kwami community were re-planting their farmlands to control crop loss caused by adverse dry spell.

Kwami urged the state government to deploy extension workers to sensitise farmers on weather information and mitigate impact of climate change.

An extension agent, Mr Ibrahim Abubakar, said that erratic rains had dire consequences on farmlands and farmers’ income.

Abubakar said that many farmers had reached out to him, lamenting the inadequate rains which impacted cropping activities and reduced productivity.

He advised farmers to use early maturing seeds to replant their farmlands, to avoid incurring losses.

On his part, Dr Musa Arab, an agronomist, said the impact of climate change on agriculture was becoming  severe in the state.

He urged the government to invest more in dry season farming to complement rainfed agriculture and enhance food security.