Some agricultural experts and big-time players in the agro-allied industry have raised alarm over an impending food crisis across the Nigeria as agricultural fortunes dip in the north of the country due to flooding in 10 states.
The experts insist that unless urgent and very drastic steps are immediately taken, the crisis may worsen as floods continue to ravage farmlands in the northern states.
According to them, 10 states, namely Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Taraba, Bauchi, Zamfara, Yobe, Sokoto and Kebbi are highly affected, following heavy rainfall in the region.
For instance, an agricultural investor in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Bello Yakazsi, told the Punch newspaper in an interview that the government should declare an emergency in the food sector across Nigeria.
“While the situation we are currently experiencing in the North can be said to be a peculiar one, it is high time that the Federal Government declared a state of emergency in the country’s agricultural sector.
“We have limited powers over the strange and dynamic play of Mother Nature but the little efforts we can muster to save ourselves from hunger and starvation must be put in place by all the government agencies. This is not the time for politics.” Yakazsi, said.
The PUNCH investigation showed that continuous rainfall across the region posed a threat to grains and farmlands, which could lead to a poor harvest and hunger as farmers battle the scourge of drought.
As a result of the effect of the twin threat of flood and drought, some farmers in Kano State, especially those within the 14 LGAs that are at a high risk of flooding as predicted by the National Emergency Management Agency, have continued to express fears about possible flooding in the state and have begun praying against flooding as rainfall persists across the 44 Local Government Areas.
One of the farmers in Rimin Gado, Mallam Musa Sani, told the PUNCH, “Since the beginning of August, we’ve been experiencing heavy rainfall, which lasts for long hours, on a daily basis.
“As you know, too much rainfall does not allow crops to grow speedily. So, we fear that once flood occurs, farmers are at the risk of losing their crops.”
An official of the State Emergency Management Agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, confirmed to The report added that on Saturday that “even though the agency has yet to receive the comprehensive report on the flood from our assessment team, we are very worried about the situation but, we cannot act without any official report.”
GIK/APA