Rice farmers in Abakaliki have raised concerns over incessant rainfall, which they say is threatening the 2025 rice production and harvest.
The farmers expressed their concerns in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abakaliki.
It was amidst persistent downpours that have led to flooding, waterlogging, and crop losses across major rice-growing areas in the state.
Mr Emmanuel Nwali, a prominent rice farmer in Izzi Local Government Area, said nearly half of his rice farm had been submerged due to the heavy rainfall.
“The floods have destroyed most of our work. What is left is already turning yellow.
“It has been raining almost daily since mid-July. We may not expect a bountiful harvest this season,” Nwali lamented.
Another farmer, Mr Chinedu Okenwa, said he lost his nursery beds to flooding, resulting in the loss of major resources.
“I don’t know how to make up for the losses because, as it stands, I cannot transplant. The nursery has been destroyed.
“We risk poor yield this season, and that may cause a sharp rise in the price of local rice next year. We are facing a difficult period due to the weather, ”Nwali lamented.
Similarly, Mr Aloysius Njoku, a commercial rice farmer, said he had lost a large portion of his rice farm to flooding and feared the development would negatively affect the harvest.
“The rains and the attendant flooding have been so devastating. If nothing is done, rice will become scarce and expensive, and everyone will feel it,” Njoku said.
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Mrs Sylvia Elom, a civil servant and subsistence rice farmer, expressed concern that the destruction of farmlands by heavy rainfall would impact many households that rely on rice cultivation for their livelihood.
“Rice is the major source of income for the majority of our people, who are mainly agrarians. When floods destroy our farms, we are left with nothing,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dr Paul Onwe, a private agricultural extension expert, explained that rice is highly sensitive to prolonged flooding.
He added that heavy rainfall poses serious threats to rice farms, especially those located in swampy areas.
He advised farmers to pay close attention to weather forecasts before embarking on rice cultivation, noting that the Federal Government provides early warning advisories at the beginning of each farming season.
“Submerged fields suffer from stunted growth, nutrient deficiency, and fungal diseases,” Onwe warned.
A source at the Ebonyi Ministry of Agriculture, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the state government is tracking the effects of the current flooding on farmlands.
He added that the government was also compiling reports from affected areas for appropriate response.
NAN reports that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), in its seasonal weather forecast, identified Ebonyi as one of the states expected to experience flooding during the 2025 rainy season.
Ebonyi is one of Nigeria’s leading rice-producing states, and rice traders in major Abakaliki markets have expressed fears that rice prices may rise due to anticipated poor harvests.
