GPI Reporter:- How does the Ministry measure changes in the climate system and the potential impact on agriculture?
Govt Official:- Climate Change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of severe weather events. Unfortunately many states in Nigeria largely lack the infrastructure necessary to respond adequately to such events. Changing rainfall patterns could devastate the rain-fed agriculture on which so much of the population of Nigeria depends to survive. For example, the heat is so much this year and the rainfall highly unpredictable. It is rainy so much already and yet it is getting hotter. With the heat, the weather is conducive for insect to breed and as a result of this both the grains, crops and even the farmers will be affected. The grains with crop pest, the crops like yams loose their viability and the farmers expose to biting, their little income spent on drugs and their level of productivity affected.
Gpi Reporter:- What kind of weather forecasting can the ministry do? What kind of weather forecasting would you like to do in the future?
Govt Official:- The ministry at the federal level do forecasting in the areas of Rainfall and Temperature, for example the forecast this year is that there will be excessive rainfall, therefore flood is inevitable. As a result of this some may be at risk of relocation and also the effect of both water and wind erosion would be very severe.
GPI Reporter: - How might farmers be affected by climate change in the short, medium and long-term.
Govt Official:- Agriculture is the most sensitive to global warming. Rural households engage as subsistence and smallholder farmers are most vulnerable. They may be affected in these ways: Increased likelihood of crop failure, Increase in diseases and mortality of livestock, increased livelihood insecurity, resulting in assets sales, indebtedness and low human development indicators such as health and education.
These impacts further aggravate the stresses already associated with subsistence production like small farm, low level of technology and narrow employment options.
There is also the effect of pests and diseases and the impact on agricultural production, health and agro-related socio-economic activities. Finally, the impacts of climate change on crop production in the country which will have tremendous impacts on income, employment and food security.
GPI Reporter: - What measures is the ministry taking to help farmers prepare for changes in rainfall patterns, drought and other potential impacts of climate change?
Govt official: - There would be early warnings, People would be advised to plant crops that are salinity tolerant, for example, from up plant rice to swampy rice planting, Right
Choice of farm input and right application like the fertilization that was always supplied in June is already in the ministries to be distributed to the farmers now, The politics of North- south dichotomy should not rare its head and There would be provision of storage facilities for farmers.
GPI reporter: - What about water conservation? What can farmers do to better conserve water resources?
Govt Official: - The pattern is to store water for dams but often times our water catchments are not protected , they dried off. When the rainfalls are heavy, it causes a lot of sealtations and in effect pollutes water body, sedimentation then occurs and the dam belt reduced. As a result of this phenomenon, the cost of hardening of water increased and simply put the burden becomes much more on women and children.
GPI Reporter: - What can consumers do to support sustainable agriculture?
Govt Official: - That comes to you and me, what can we do? (Laughter) We should help to develop capacity building, share information, encourage cooperative society, should be pressure group for farmers to the government and motivate farmers by slogans like “ No farmer no Nation”, “Good farmers, good nation.”
GPI Reporter: - What opportunity do you see biofuel production? Does biofuel production conflict with food production?
Govt Official: - There are two sources of biofuel. These are oil produce from Jatropha and oil from ethanol. The oil from jatropha is renewable source, they burn without polluting the air with Carbon Dioxide CO2 and Methane CH4, it is used to dilute diesel and also successfully demonstrated as a veritable aviation fuel.
Yes, biofuel usually intercrop with food production. It allows mixed cropping and the plantation of tree crops with arable farming. It is a money spinner and foreign exchange earner and it has a very high market potential through out the world. Jatropha thrives well in Nigeria especially in the South-West.
GPI Reporter: - Sir, what are your suggested solution in reducing the vulnerability of this nation to climate change?
Govt Official: - Plant more trees, we should fight deforestation, Individuals, NGO, communities should plant Wood Lots. When you plant small areas with trees, it checked erosion, it holds the sand firmly, and it combats the main polluter which is carbon dioxide. The trees make use of carbon dioxide; they have ability to store it. There will be enough firewood which will alleviate the suffering of the women and children in the rural areas. Early warning will also help farmers to protect their crops, they will have harvest to commemorate to what they expected and when they are not sick, the money will be saved and their income will improve.
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