The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) has urged farmers to follow the advice on weather forecasts to enhance food production and minimise losses on their farming ventures.
The Ibadan Zonal Manager of NiMET, Mr Wale Ajeyomi, stated this in an interview with journalists in Ibadan on Wednesday.
He said the 2024 forecast, which predicted late onset and early cessation of rainfall, was better than 2023 but for other factors affecting plans and schedules in the country.
According to him, nobody can do anything about the forecast, which is about 80 to 85 per cent accurate, other than to key into it and maximise the information.
He said that farmers would benefit greatly if they adhered to the instructions and got some experts’ advice on managing the situation.
“This is because NiMet’s job is to let them know the weather conditions for the year, but it is left for them to design a way to maximise the information at their disposal such as the rainfall window as forecast by NiMET.
“I notice that most of our farmers don’t believe in the forecast; they still believe in their old practice,” Ajeyomi said.
He noted that climate change had greatly affected the weather situation, adding that most farmers had not keyed into the available information on weather and the impact of climate change on weather patterns.