The prolonged absence of rainfall in the farming communities of Benue State is fast threatening food shortages and extreme hunger in the nation’s food basket. Already, farmers in the state who are experiencing serious drought are indeed lamenting the devastating effect of the disaster. Already food and cash crops cultivated are fast weathering away over the prolonged absence of rain in the farming communities of the state.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Speaking with New Telegraph, a maize farmer in Gwer-West Local Government Area of the state, Orban Mende expressed grief over insufficient rainfall which he said has greatly affected the growth of his maize.
Orban said when he visited his maize farm and became disappointed as the weathered maize had started defoliating, a pointer to the fact that he would not get enough this harvesting season to feed his family.
The farmer lamented that he had spent huge sums of money in the cultivation of the maize which he said has now become a waste.
In a relative vein, a rice farmer, Mrs. Nguavese Iorkase said she experienced the same problem, according to her, after she had fertilized her rice farm there has been no rain, a situation that made it to begin to weather prematurely.
Also lamenting on the matter, Elder Joseph Kwaghgba, said his soyabean farm is nothing to write home about again, despite the fact that it started well.
Elder Kwaghgba said he planted his soyabean on a large piece of land but weeks after, the rains seized and it started dying off due to inadequate rainfall.
“Let me tell you, I know how much I got from my soyabean farm, it was a bumper harvest for me but this time around because of lack of rainfall the whole thing is just dying. It’s only God Almighty that will help us this time”.