By DAVID ADEOYE

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) has cautioned farmers against early planting of crops to avoid drought, saying the recent rainfall “is deceptive”.

The Oyo State Meteorological Manager, Mr Emmanuel Udoh, gave the advice on Monday in Ibadan during a programme tagged: ‘Dissemination of 2026 Weather Forecast in Oyo State’.

Udoh, while providing advisories that would guide farmers in the coming farming season, said that the 2026 onset of rain, which determines the beginning of the planting season, starts from April 15 to the end of April.

“The variable we look at is when the soil moisture content is up to 50 per cent, which is enough for crops to use for nutrition and growth.

“That’s what the agency calls the ‘onset of rain’, and this is the right time farmers should start planting,” he said.

He maintained that recent rainfalls in some parts of the state are not for planting, “so farmers should not be tempted to start planting”.

The manager urged farmers to heed the information and follow the advisories issued to the farmers as regards onset of rain across the 33 local government areas in the state.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, said government would continue to give priority to the development of agriculture in the state.

Olaleye explained that the weather forecast advisories for the planting season would provide farmers in the state with crucial information on the best time to start planting, and assist them make informed decisions.

He also highlighted the state government’s efforts in supporting agriculture, saying that in 2025, about 12,000 bags of fertilisers were distributed to farmers.

“The cost of ploughing for approximately 30,000 hectares of land was also subsidised,” the commissioner said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that farmers’ representatives at the event urged the state government to boost security measures, to enable them cultivate without anxiety of being kidnapped or facing attacks from roaming herders who destroy their farms.

The chairman of the All Farmers Association (AFAN) in the state, Mr Abass Adewunmi, urged the government to take decisive action to resolve conflicts between herders and farmers, which have been affecting agricultural activities.

Adewunmi also encouraged cassava farmers not to be disheartened by the recent drop in cassava prices, but take advantage of the upcoming rainy season to plant more cassava.

Pa Bamiji Alabi, a farmers’ leader in Akinyele Local Government Area, emphasised the need for timely government support, warning that delays in providing inputs and other forms of assistance would hinder farmers’ progress. (NAN)