Climate change: You can’t rely on rainfed agriculture anymore – Expert tells farmers
A professor of agricultural extension, Bosede Lawal has said that farmers in the country could no longer rely on rainfed agriculture due to the effect of climate change. Lawal made this disclosure on Wednesday in Ibadan. Lawal, who said that climate change is having a negative effect on agricultural production, insisted that the best way to get over the problem is for farmers to embrace irrigation farming. She added that farmers could not rely on rainfall because of a shortage of water. Lawal while speaking at a training organised for youths and women in the South-West region held at Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) Ibadan, maintained that for sustainable agricultural productivity, farmers must embrace irrigation in order to overcome the effect of climate change. She said, "Climate change is real and farmers can no longer rely on rainfed agriculture for sustainable productivity. "The need for farmers to leverage on irrigation is of utmost importance. "One of the major strategies of adapting to climate change is the use of irrigation and efficient water management techniques. "As farmers, we need appropriate knowledge and skills to be able to plan production, prepare and appropriate quantity of water required to irrigate their farms. "For agriculture to be sustainable, land and water must be used effectively to reduce the negative impact on the environment, increase productivity and be food secured and profit from agriculture". Executive Director of the institute, Professor Veronica Obatolu who declared the training opened maintained that the training was aimed to address the unemployment rate among women and youths in the region. Obatolu who was represented by Professor Lateef Taiwo, Head of Research Advisory and Intellectual Property Office, IAR&T, urged the beneficiaries to make use of what they would learn from the training. She said, "The training is aimed to empower you in form of knowledge. "We are training you, men, women, and youths so that you can stand on your own. I want you to familiarize yourself with the instructors, tell them your problems in the field so that they can assist you. "Make use of the training so that you can say that you passed through here tomorrow".