Dr Aliyu Umar, The Executive Director, National Cereals Research Institute, NCRI, Badeggi, Niger State has cautioned farmers in the country against rushing into planting with the first rain to prevent losses.
He gave the warning while speaking to journalists in Bida, Bida Local Government Area of the state.
He said planting their seeds with the first rain might be a wasted effort due to the heat should the rain fail to continue.
He explained that instead, the farmers should start clearing their farmlands and wait for another round of rain before embarking on planting their seeds.
According to him, “the early rains are good, however, farmers must not rush to their farms for planting. If any farmer wants to use this first rain to plant, such farmer should ensure the storage of enough water to water their crops if the rain does not continue.
“It is not advisable for farmers to plant with the first rain, but they should prepare their farms ahead of the rainy and planting season”.
Umar also advised farmers to embrace mixed cropping for its advantages, adding that in the event of anything, the losses they incur would be minimal.
He further assured that the Institute would continue to provide quality seeds to farmers in the country in order to boost agricultural production and food security.
“In order to achieve this, we are calling on farmers to purchase farming inputs from reputable sources so as to guide against wasting their resources on adulterated inputs.
“Today, adulterated input are on the increase in markets,” he added.
