Farmers blame climate change, govt apathy for productivity decline

Nigerian farmers have attributed declines in productivity to climate change and the insensitivity of government at all levels to their plight.

They made this submission at the stakeholders meeting on building a community response to climate change organised by the HEDA Resource Centre, held on Tuesday in Ogbomoso.

It was noted that the country is losing a substantial amount of its export earnings due to post-harvest spoilage caused by climate change.

According to the farmers, they are not adequately informed about the devastating effects of climate change. They also mentioned that, in addition to the widely reported issue of Fulani herders on their farms, unpredictable climate change is another factor they are contending with. Their farmlands are not yielding the expected produce, as they did in the past.

As we all know, the southwestern part of the country is an agrarian community, but the richness of the land has been eroded due to deforestation. Previously notable trees such as Iroko, Obeche, and Mahogany have been cut down without replacement, thereby exposing the crops to environmental hazards.

In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, two of the participants at the meeting, Paul Ojoawo and Ajibola Benjamin, thanked HEDA for the enlightenment programme, stating that it would significantly enrich their knowledge about climate change. They mentioned that their annual losses due to climate change cannot be quantified in terms of monetary value.

According to them, “the planting and harvesting periods in the past ten years have been unpredictable, resulting in a decline in productivity. There are some things that we have been doing wrong, especially the poor management of waste on our farmlands and the incorrect application of fertiliser. However, with this program organized by HEDA, we have been adequately informed. Therefore, we call on the government at all levels to come to the aid of farmers nationwide.”

“Farming requires adequate funding. In order for us to move from the present level of subsistence farming to commercial farming, we need financial assistance from the government. We have been better informed, and we will take the message back to farmers in our various communities.”

In his address to the farmers, the head of the HEDA team, Sulaimon Arigbabu, encouraged them to establish accessible and user-friendly reporting channels within their communities. These channels could include telephones, WhatsApp groups, community meetings, or designated reporting centres. He also emphasised the importance of educating community members about the types of climate-related incidents.

“Clearly communicate the process for reporting climate-related incidents. Make sure everyone understands what information is needed and how it should be conveyed. Involve community leaders, health workers, and volunteers in the reporting process. They can act as intermediaries between community members and local authorities.”

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