The condition in which I had met our crops in the farm yesterday was a pathetic one. It is now becoming painful that this has to keep repeating itself every year. It is already a challenging task to grow anything in this part of the world, even though some other states feels more better, Kwara state and this particular location is becoming a pain in our neck. This is more like the third year that we are now having this kind of experience.
After putting in so much effort and labour to grow crops, then another battle with the rains begins and sometimes it is towards the peak of farming times when a crops is about to start producing food. The consistent drought in between farming season has now become a source of concern for us.
It has been over two weeks now we have last had any downpour in the location. Most of the crops we have planted in the earlier are now struggling to stay alive. Some are able to withstand the drought but others will die off before the rains resume. The rains are so unpredictable that you hardly know when it will stop or resume back.
Before now we have known this short period of dryness in between farming season to be refered to as August break since it normally happens between the 2-4th week of August but now the rain break can chose to happen at what ever farming timing/month as it desires. And this time around it has ceased since the 3rd week of July. No body expected it then hence we kept planting our seeds hoping that the rains will water them.
Now take a look at the rice we have earlier planted the rice plants have all withered away already, a large portion of the farm is drying up already. The ground is completely dry and the plants are not surviving this dryness at all. It is difficult to manage the situation as there are no rivers close enough to these rice farms that we can use to irrgate and keep these crops alive till when the rains will return and beside it will take extra expenses for purchase the fuel that will possibly be used to water these crops.
The corns are not left out as these ones are already written off and can no longer produce anything. The drought is disrupting further planting and we don't know how long these will last get.
