Farmers in Oyo State under the auspices of the Association of Farm Settlers, have said that there will be maize scarcity this year unless the government supports farmers in planting during the dry season. Referencing the changing climate, the farmers have decried the losses obtained in the 2020 planting season due to drought.
In an emergency meeting held to address the situation, it was revealed that many of the farmers had decided against planting maize in 2020 due to unpredictable rainfall patterns. They however changed their minds when the state government started a flood forecast campaign. In response to this announcement, members of the association went to access loans when heavy rains were forecast for October and November, which they believed would assist in late maize planting.
Chairman of the association, Alabi Kazeem, has therefore called on both the government and the Central Bank of Nigeria to put forth best measures to avert food scarcity, especially maize in 2021. The association has also called for President Muhammadu Buhari administration to develop new measures to assist farmers in determining weather forecast.
