Dimieari Von Kemedi
It’s Time We Stop BeingVictims of Floods & Droughts
Catastrophic floods have once again wiped out farms and devastated livelihoods in many parts of Nigeria this year. For farms that survived in the flooded plains, soil erosion and leaching are ever-present dangers.
While being close to the water brings benefits from soil fertility through alluvium deposits being spread over the land, we also need to appreciate the heightened dangers – and take steps to protect our land. That begins with mapping. Topographical and hydrological surveys of the farmland and surrounding areas helps farmers to work out ways of opening up natural drainage or creating artificial canals to protect against flooding. Historical weather data can be used to anticipate and respond to meteorological patterns.
Farmers can mitigate soil erosion and leaching – the washing away of nutrients – through land preparation techniques that are routine in many other countries. These methods prevent run-off, retain topsoil and nutrients, and minimize water loss, thereby enhancing nutrient intake and water availability to boost yield.
In our mineral rich and diverse land, we of course also suffer the opposite problem: draught. The solutions are similar. They begin with understanding the land and then preparing and shaping it to best retain water. A storage source for excess water will supplement the rains in times of need, which sometimes occurs even during the rainy season.
Clearly, irrigation is key. It is better to invest in a hectare of land that’s fully irrigated than a hundred hectares without irrigation. Where there are smallholders on adjacent plots, they should work with their neighbours to create economies of scale.
Nature loves all creatures great and small, but farmers are less enamoured with some of the tiniest of our fellow beings. Insect invasions and many crop diseases are preventable by planting with the right amount of inputs ranging from fertilizers to insecticides, improved seeds, and pesticides.
The old adage tells us that we reap what we sow. Yet for many farmers, the agricultural planning process starts with spending as little as possible or nothing at all on fertilizers and other inputs.
Even less attention is given to post-harvest strategy. For most, post-harvest is that time of great relief when farmers send their produce to the market as quickly as they can. But harvesting straight into the market means the farmer is selling just when their crop commands its lowest price. Capturing full value requires reliable means of storage – whether on the farm or in third-party facilities – and the data to understand historical global and local price patterns.
Even after careful planning and execution there are still off-farm challenges to negotiate such as transport infrastructure, financing costs and natural disasters. Insurance can help to cover some of these risks. Farmers can obtain index yield insurance to cover for natural disasters and transit insurance as their produce moves through our uncertain roads.
The providers of insurance and transportation must be thoroughly checked for reliability.
Traditional knowledge and practices have served smallholders through the generations, but we should not unduly romanticize the low productivity and poverty that most times accompany them.
Farming is an orchestra. It has many moving parts that each require careful arrangement and the utmost attention to detail. If the conductor can find and combine the right pieces and players with the right intervals, the result can be a masterpiece time after time.