Research institute boss harps on drought-averting measures

By Moh Bello Habib

Zaria

Director, Institute for Agricultural (IAR), Ahmdu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ibrahim Umar Abubakar, has charged farmers to use drought-tolerant seeds as one of the measures to fight against drought, especially in the northern part of the country.
He gave the charge in an exclusive interview with Blueprint in Zaria, yesterday.
Abubakar explained that there were many ways to avert the menace apart from using the said seed variety when rain stopped which included evacuation of produce to storage facility immediately after harvest, adding that the measure would also go along away in curtailing farmers, herdsmen crisis.
The researcher further advised farmers to also use early maturity seed on time as soon at commencement of raining season.
The director said there was need use water harvest technique which was scientific and traditional way of reserving water for moisture in dry season.
Abubakar complained many farmers don’t know the existence of early maturity and drought tolerant seed, he advised them to liaise with Agricultural Development Projects of their various states.
The researcher lamented that crops were shattered on farms, attributing it to the “non-challant attitude of some farmers who leave their crops on farms for so long time after harvest.”
H also identified irrigation farming as another measure, saying “irrigation farming also averts drought; I, therefore, call on the government to provide irrigation farming facilities like dams and others so that farmers can be engaged throughout the year.”
Abubakar affirmed that irrigation farming would reduce rural-urban migration and provide jobs for youths and women.

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