Climate change: Farmers express fear of high foodstuff prices next year
Local farmers in Northern Nigeria have expressed fear that they may not have a bumper harvest in this years farming season. The farmers observed that climate change, insecurity, and other ecological challenges have affected this years harvest, saying that there might be a scarcity of other cash crops and other food items in the markets, thereby affecting food security in the region. In separate interviews with DAILY POST in Kaduna, the local farmers expressed fear that most of their crops that were not yet mature in the farmlands might easily spoil or get damaged due to scarcity of rainfall. An investigation has also shown that many local farmers in the region who can afford it were forced to embrace the irrigation system of farming to save their crops against damage. A farmer, Idris Musa, said he was afraid that many local farmers would lose their farm crops this year due to scarcity of water since the last three weeks, adding that some of the farmers that could afford it were forced to hire generators that can pump water from rivers into their farms so that their crops can survive. He noted that climate change has affected this year's farming season and it would continue to cause a devastating effect on agriculture in the entire region unless government and other stakeholders intervene to save the situation. Another farmer, Danladi Yahaya, observed that climate change is gradually affecting the local farmers due to a lack of awareness of weather conditions. He stressed the need for sensitization to farmers in order to save many on the dangers associated with climate change for the overall interest of the region. Another farmer, Shuaibu Mohammed, said that scarcity of rainfall heat most of their farmlands, adding that this year's bumper harvest is going to be different from the previous year as a result of a shortage of water. He said they are really afraid that many food prices might be doubled in the market due to how scarcity of water affected this year farming. Others are of the belief that insecurity in Northern Nigeria has put fear in the minds of the people as many were busy trying to survive from various attacks launched by unknown gunmen, saying that it would affect harvest this year. They called on the government at all levels to take the issue of insecurity seriously, stressing that failure to take appropriate measures to curb the ugly situation would spell doom to the region in years to come.