Planting Season In Nigeria Starts on February 28, Says NiMet

Planting Season In Nigeria Starts on February 28, 2023, Says NiMet…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) announced recently in Abuja that the start of the planting season in the coastal parts of the country is expected to begin on February 28, 2022.

According to NiMet, the onset of rainfall in central states is expected to take place between April and May, while northern states can expect it to occur between June and July. The agency revealed that the start of the planting season is predicted to be normal in most parts of the country, with a few areas beginning earlier or later.

Senator Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, presented NiMet’s 2022 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and emphasized the importance of addressing climate change and variability, which have caused numerous hardships for people.

During his keynote address, Sirika praised NiMet for its efforts in providing weather and climate forecasts that impact different areas of society. He encouraged everyone to take the forecasts into consideration and respond with appropriate actions for resilience, adaptation, and mitigation.

Sirika highlighted the following points from the 2022 SCP: “Rainfall cessation dates across most parts of the country are expected to be near the long-term average. The period between the onset and cessation dates can be considered safe for planting crops according to their schedules.

“The growing season in southern parts of the country is expected to last between 250 and 300 days, and 100 to 200 days in the North. However, areas around Kwara, Oyo, Lagos, Nasarawa, Benue, Bayelsa, and Rivers States are likely to have a shorter-than-normal growing season. Prolonged growing seasons are expected in parts of Plateau, Kaduna, Edo, and Imo States.

“The annual total rainfall is expected to be normal in most parts of the country, ranging from 390 mm in the North to over 2790 mm in the South. Annual rainfall is expected to range from 390 mm to 790 mm in some parts of Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, and Sokoto States. The central states, including Nasarawa, Taraba, Kogi, Benue, the FCT, Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo are expected to receive between 1190 mm and 1590 mm of total rainfall.

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“From May to August 2022, different parts of the country are expected to experience dry spells of varying severity, from mild to severe. A moderate dry spell lasting up to 15 days is predicted for parts of Adamawa, Benue, Kogi, Ekiti, Kwara, Niger, FCT, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Gombe. Parts of Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, Borno, Nasarawa, and Plateau States may experience a severe dry spell that could last up to 20 days or longer in June 2022.”

The Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Mansur Matazu, stated that the SCP is a valuable tool that provides information on the expected rainfall pattern for the season, and can help relevant stakeholders and emergency managers make necessary preparations.

Stakeholders at the event, including ministers, CEOs of government agencies, and members of academia, praised NiMet for releasing the predictions in a timely manner and noted that it will be of great help to farmers in determining the best time to start the farming season.