Although rainfall appears to commence around the second week in February and ends around October, a change in climate can occur.

The planting season had already started for farmers in Nigeria. However, the absence of rainfall is causing huge worries for farmers, especially the rice farmers.

For over two months now, there has been little or no rain to aid proper growth of crops, a situation which might lead to low harvest. The possibility of the farmers having to re-plant their crops, is also very high.

On Thursday, August 8, some rice farmers in Kwara state of Nigeria, mostly women, trooped out in their numbers to hold a peace walk.

A source told Thelagostimes that the women were heard chanting in Hausa Language and pleading with God to release rain on their crops as some of them solely depended on farming for survival.

“They came out in a large number to stage a peace walk. They spoke in Hausa and were shouting at the top of their voices, calling on God to make rain fall on their crops. For about three months now, we have not experienced rainfall and we’re in the rainy season”, the source said.

Thelagostimes recalls that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, in its 2020 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) report, had predicted the onset of the 2020 growing season to be near-normal to earlier-than-normal in most parts of the country.

The agency had also predicted that the country is expected to have rainfall amounts from 400mm in the north to over 3000mm in the south.

According to NIMET’s prediction, the earliest onset date of rainfall is expected to occur on February 24 in Southsouth states, while the northern states are predicted to experience their onset on June 2.

Farmers were however, advised to avoid early planting, as there would be false onset of rain, to avoid losses.