In a bid to resist any possible eventuality that might have adverse effects on crop yield in the state, the Plateau State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Samson Ishaku Bugama, has cautioned farmers to always respect the climate smart agriculture calendar issued by NiMet.
He stated this Wednesday, while in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in his office, at the JD Gomwalk Secretariat Jos, the State capital, following reported cases of dry spell witnessed in some parts of the State recently.
The Commissioner said, “God in His infinite mercy, has helped in developing technology to help us. Technology has not come to fight us, but to help us. So, we must begin to start looking at climate smart agriculture. We must listen to extension services advices given to us.
“You know, the Federal Government sometimes back, through the Nigeria Metrological Agency (NiMet), would say there is going be flooding and so on here and there, but we tend to ignore. Let us not look at it as a wishy-washy talk.
“So, let’s learn to keep this advice especially when there is planting calendar. Let’s respect those calendars and trust that God will help us. We must be able to carry smart agriculture, because we are experiencing climate change”, he advised.
Bugama, however, expressed concern that most farmers tend to ignore the new planting pattern that goes with the new smart agriculture and prefer to continue holding to the traditional way of planting, where they solely depend on rainy season, hence the replying effect witnessed.
“You know, traditionally, we have people who would say they have been farming before you were born and they understand some of these things and can go ahead to plant the moment the rains touch the ground.
“But, this is telling us that, there is a need for smart agriculture especially, the climate smart agriculture where one needs to follow the pattern and not that, planting most be in May as used to be in the traditional way”, he encouraged.
The Commissioner, therefore, called on farmers in the State to henceforth, follow NiMet’s predictions to help mitigate any further ugly occurrence, because their earlier predictions about dry spell to August 18, was true and has became a reality, praying God to help take it off soon.
Meanwhile, he has encouraged those who had lost their crops completely to the dry spell to plant other short time crops within this period, because the prediction by NiMet revealed that, the rains would last to the end of November.
Bugama, cleared air that the disaster was of the climate change, but government would try its best to see if it could offer some kind of interventions for the affected by doing an assessment saying, “we are here for the best interest of Plateau State and not just to change the traditional cultural pattern.
“My prayer is that, people will begin to listen when we talk and be able to follow the smart agriculture pattern. Smart agriculture says, you must listen to the Experts when they give advice on this”, he prayed.
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