The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Agriculture and National Resources, Mr. Ebenezer Abegunde has advised farmers in the state to delay planting of their crops till the end of March or early April when there is expected to be enough rainfall to sustain their crops.
Mr. Abegunde who gave the advice while speaking in Ado-Ekiti, noted that the early rains witnessed in some parts of the state this year may not last long and maybe insufficient to sustain early planting of crops.
The Permanent Secretary explained that a sudden dry spell might set in, adding that absence of irrigation to combat its effect could lead to moisture stress and loss of their farm produce.
He said farmers should however clear their farm lands in preparation for the forthcoming planting season.
The Permanent Secretary opined that rainfall around April would always guarantee sustainability for farmers and their crops, stressing that planting now would amount to unnecessary risk taking.
Mr. Abegunde urged yam farmers to use the available weeds in their yam plantations for mulching to prevent their already sprouted yam shoots from drying up.
It will be recalled that some parts of the state recorded the first rain of the year on Saturday January 19 and Sunday January 20, 2013
respectively.
Last modified: January 25, 2013