Since mid-July, Emmanuel Nwali has woken up to the same dreadful sight every morning—his rice paddy in the innards of Ebonyi State drowning in a pool of water. Following near-constant rainfall, the lush green of his fields has taken on a yellowish hue, piling on his agony.
“It has been raining practically every day,” he complained, gesturing towards the waterlogged fields. “What is left of our work is dying slowly.”
Like many farmers across Abakaliki, Emmanuel fears that the year will usher in a lean harvest, which could cause rice to become scarce and send prices over the roof.
Nwali’s anguish resonates with many rice farmers in Ebonyi, where heavy rainfall has destroyed nurseries and delayed transplanting.
Experts, however, maintain that prior warning by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) offers valuable insights to farmers and can help them avert imminent catastrophe. “Farmers must begin to act on weather forecasts before planting,” said Paul Onwe, a native agricultural extension specialist.
This preparedness is evident in other vulnerable regions in the country, where flood-resistant rice species are becoming popular as farmers struggle to ward against the hazards of heavy flooding.
These new varieties, which are made in partnership with research outfits, minimise crop failure during seasonal flooding, as they can survive underwater for up to two weeks.
Other helpful practices include raised-bed farming and drainage systems for fields, which have helped Nigerian farmers cut substantial losses of late.
In Ebonyi, the government is starting to take decisive action. Its ministry of agriculture has said that it’s compiling reports from ruined farmlands to pave the way for short-term measures like replanting support and long-term projects like irrigation facilities.
A more sustainable measure would be fostering stronger partnerships among farmers, government agencies and field extension workers who can implement practical solutions in the field. Such partnerships can provide scientific inputs where they are needed most.
Amidst the growing havoc, a collective spirit of resilience is palpable among the farmers. Across a few villages in Abakaliki, the state’s capital, rice farmers are salvaging what is left of the season and planning for the next.
They are searching for higher patches of land upon which to relocate future nurseries, digging simple but effective drains to divert excess water and sharing seedlings with those who lost all of theirs.
Others have started calling cooperatives and NGOs to learn flood management and climate-resilient agriculture. These small community-based efforts are founded on the farmers’ deep understanding of their land and their resolve to adapt.
For this lot, it is not just salvaging the year’s harvest but also ensuring that the next flood meets a community poised to fight back.
Since mid-July, heavy rainfall in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, has severely impacted rice production, leaving many fields flooded and threatening to reduce the harvest yield. Farmers like Emmanuel Nwali fear scarcity and rising prices as fields become waterlogged, with crops taking on a yellowish hue. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had issued warnings, but farmers feel unprepared for the impact. While some areas in Nigeria adopt flood-resistant rice varieties, farmers in Ebonyi are incorporating practices like raised-bed farming and drainage systems.
The government is compiling damage reports to implement replanting support and irrigation projects as immediate and long-term solutions. There is a call for strong partnerships between farmers, government agencies, and agricultural specialists to provide necessary scientific inputs and practical assistance. Farmers have begun community-based resilience efforts including relocation of nurseries to higher ground, digging drainage systems, sharing resources, and learning climate-resilient techniques from NGOs and cooperatives. These initiatives aim not only to salvage the current harvest but also to prepare the community better for future flooding events.
