This photo is from Gift Ufuoma/BBC
Wetin we call dis foto, Mema Fwa Lost most of her farm harvest due to floods and drought Article Information Author, Azeezat Olaoluwa Role, BBC News Yola and Jalingo16 October 2024, 16:11 WAT
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Mema Fuwa, a Nigerian maize and okra farmer, can’t believe she lost her Everytin She Bin plants out of season due to water shortages and flooding.
For 25 years, he has been running Fuwa Don Day Farm in a remote community in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria.
She said it was the most challenging booze in the flood over the past five years.
“This is the worst farming season,” she said.
The 55-year-old widow’s farm is filled with water and can only be accessed by boat.
She let out a sigh of sadness as she tried to examine the Wetin ruins left on her farm.
“At the beginning of the season in April, my plants were ruined due to lack of sun and rain,” she said.
“In July, the rains start, so we decide to farm again and the crops start to bring us food, but the floods destroy Everytin.
“I couldn’t sleep the day my farm flooded. After that, Dem took me to the hospital. Now I have high blood pressure. I’m not happy.”
Like Fuwa, many pipo in her farming community are experiencing significant losses this year due to climate change. With more flooding expected, Di Pipo Wei Bin manages to grow crops and starts harvesting early.
Adamawa State Environment Secretary Muhammad Sadiq Muhamed says he does not know what the situation will be.
“This is one of the worst farming seasons in Adamawa State, where we are experiencing water scarcity and flooding at the same time,” I said.
“We are not fit to produce enof to feed ourselves, nor can we talk about what we go to sell here and there in Contri.”
In neighboring Taraba state, water shortages caused by floods have wiped out crops and affected farmers’ livelihoods.
This year, Rabiu Musa Bin hopes to harvest at least 1,000 bags of maize after recovering his bank loan.
This photo is from Gift Ufuoma/BBC
Wetin, the empty barn as we call the photo, means Rabiu Musa will not go to repay the loan.
However, a poor rainy season means that even if the harvest is good, the barns will be empty.
I feel really lucky to have only been able to harvest 20 bags.
“We fast, pray, and even share corn with the pipo while asking God for mercy so that it does not rain. Many pipo lose their investments and odas give up. They lose their wet lives. I believe there are people who will die for this.
The 36-year-old farmer said he doesn’t know how he will repay his loan and support his more than 40 dependents.
“Whenever I go to the farm, I’m not happy at all. I always come home with a headache. I want to say I’m going to collapse. Once I lose Everytin, I’ll never be the same again. I feel helpless.” I said.
unpredictable weather
Most of Nigeria’s food crops come from the northern and northeastern regions, which are major suppliers of rice, maize, and cassava.
In recent years, extreme weather events have increased in western and central Africa, with devastating effects.
FAO representative in Nigeria, Kuaku Dominic Coffey, told BBC News that almost the entire West African region has been affected by flooding this year.
“About 52 million people are worried about food in West Africa and the root causes of Na Kasala, climate change and soil management problems.Climate change will not result in significant economic losses for farmers in the region ” states.
This photo is from Gift Ufuoma/BBC
Wetin what we call diss photo, low harvest due to water shortage causes food shortage in Nigeria
In Nigeria, unpredictable weather patterns can disrupt planting and harvest schedules and result in low crop yields. The region experienced one of the most devastating floods of 2022, killing at least 300 pipo, displacing thousands of people and washing away vast tracts of farmland.
The flood situation across Nigeria last year turned into a massive humanitarian crisis, with 31 states and 180 Local Government Areas (LGAs) severely affected.
More than 1 million people have been affected, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
At the same time, Nigeria is facing a cost of living crisis due to food inflation at an annual rate of 37.5%. According to government estimates, more than 200 million people are living in multidimensional poverty, and despite the impact of the floods, millions are already facing hunger.
“Due to the floods, we lost about 850,000 tonnes of food, equivalent to 8.5 million pipo of feed, in six months. This could be a big challenge,” FAO’s Coffey said. .
specialty crops
For many farmers affected by this year’s water shortages and flooding, producing enough food to feed their families is a top concern.
In February, the Taraba government announced initiatives to boost agricultural production and strengthen food security in the state.
“We need to move from agriculture to climate-smart agriculture, introducing innovation, water management and water management to enable farmers to produce year-round and earn more. ” says Kofi Toku.
Adamawa State Environment Commissioner Muhammad Sadiq Muhamed said the government had established a “food security team” to monitor Jimata.
This photo is from Gift Ufuoma/BBC
We call the photo, but in the comments of Adamawa State, we are trying to water it to get seedlings that grow well without water to increase the yield.
“The team will raise farmers’ awareness and collaborate with the research team in Ibadan to deliver water scarcity tolerant seedlings that we can provide to farmers. I’ll go and fertilize.”
Trials in Bindon, East Africa, show that genetically engineered water-deficit tolerant crops can increase yields by up to 30%, but they also add to the financial burden, even though farmers must buy them every year. It is shown that it will increase.
At Deer Farm, Mema Fuwa and Rabiu Musa are waiting to see if Deer Farm will benefit them. Even if you don’t have a plethora of options, you hope your regular dry season crops will yield enough to feed your family until next year.
“I will not have the same strength as before. I will go to a small farm, so my family will go to eat. I hope that my relatives will continue to help me. Otherwise, I will We rely on God for support,” Hua Tok said.
Additional reporting by Yusuf Akinpelu, Gift Ufuoma and Buhari Muhammad Fagge
