Nigeria: Katsina farmers lament the impact of climate change

For over 15 years, Abdullahi Umar recorded poor harvests on his farm annually. Other farmers in his native Yanhoho in Kaita Local Government Area of Katsina State had the same concern until an agricultural extension worker visited them three years ago. “We learnt that climate change is the reason we’re recording low quantities of food produce,” Mr Umar told PREMIUM TIMES in February. “I’ve several farms in this community. There is a farm where I used to get 50 bundles of millet but I now get 20. There is another one I used to get 70 bundles, now I get between 30 and 40.” The large-scale farmer of maise, millet, beans, and rice said he identified climate-related change issues, including frequent changes in rainfall patterns, land degradation, and desert encroachment. “For three consecutive farming seasons, I recorded losses in my rice farms because of the rainfall pattern. Sometimes, it will start raining then cease, return and cease again, which makes the rice wilt,” he said. In ...