Incessant rainfall experienced last month has grievously affected late planted maize and sorghum farms in Katsina state.
A visit by this reporter to Danja, Kafur and some parts of Malumfashi local government area show that many of the farms that were planted in late June especially those in a swampy terrain are saturated with water; a situation that washed away the already applied fertilizer and other soil nutrients required by the crops to blossom.
One of the affected farmers in kafur, Mal. Hudu Dankanjiba said he applied fertilizer three times to his maize farm but all have been washed away by heavy rainfalls.
“The genesis of our problems is late planting and maize by its nature doesn’t like much rainfall at its early stage; I tried to resuscitate the farm by applying fertilizer three times but all in vain as heavy rainfalls washed them away,” said Mal. Hudu.
He added that his soya beans farm which was planted earlier than the maize farm was not affected by the rainfall, even though the two farms are not in the same terrain.
Another farmer in the same Kafur, Mal. Hamisu lamented how the heavy down pours being experienced in this September destroyed his white beans farm.
“For good four days now, we are having heavy down pours in the night and my beans farm is situated on a sloppy terrain, making the rainfall to easily destroy the crop.” Mal. Hamisu said.
But Abdullahi Muhammad Danja told Daily Trust that he has learned his lesson from this year that he will not engage in late planting in future.
“Late planting has taught me a bitter lesson this year going by the way incessant rainfall stunted my maize and sorghum farm. I lost everything in the maize section because unlike sorghum, maize cannot endure harsh situations,” said Mal. Abdullahi.
He enjoined farmers in the state to always take advantage of early rainfall to plant their crops, so that they can sustain the event of incessant heavy down pour in the months of August and September.
A visit by this reporter to Danja, Kafur and some parts of Malumfashi local government area show that many of the farms that were planted in late June especially those in a swampy terrain are saturated with water; a situation that washed away the already applied fertilizer and other soil nutrients required by the crops to blossom.
One of the affected farmers in kafur, Mal. Hudu Dankanjiba said he applied fertilizer three times to his maize farm but all have been washed away by heavy rainfalls.
“The genesis of our problems is late planting and maize by its nature doesn’t like much rainfall at its early stage; I tried to resuscitate the farm by applying fertilizer three times but all in vain as heavy rainfalls washed them away,” said Mal. Hudu.
He added that his soya beans farm which was planted earlier than the maize farm was not affected by the rainfall, even though the two farms are not in the same terrain.
Another farmer in the same Kafur, Mal. Hamisu lamented how the heavy down pours being experienced in this September destroyed his white beans farm.
“For good four days now, we are having heavy down pours in the night and my beans farm is situated on a sloppy terrain, making the rainfall to easily destroy the crop.” Mal. Hamisu said.
But Abdullahi Muhammad Danja told Daily Trust that he has learned his lesson from this year that he will not engage in late planting in future.
“Late planting has taught me a bitter lesson this year going by the way incessant rainfall stunted my maize and sorghum farm. I lost everything in the maize section because unlike sorghum, maize cannot endure harsh situations,” said Mal. Abdullahi.
He enjoined farmers in the state to always take advantage of early rainfall to plant their crops, so that they can sustain the event of incessant heavy down pour in the months of August and September.
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