The Nigerian Meteorological Agency released its 2021 Seasonal Climate Prediction on Tuesday and stated that Oyo state and four other states would witness shorter agricultural growing season this year.
It named the four states as Lagos, Kwara, Osun and the Federal Capital Territory, as it noted that the length of growing season in 2021 over Sokoto, Yobe, Nasarawa, parts of Ondo, Edo, Imo, Cross River and Abia would be longer by five to 13 days.
For states that would witness shorter growing season, NiMet said the shorter length of season might range between five to 14 days.
“However, other parts of the country will remain within the normal range (variation within five days) of predicted length of season for each location,” the agency stated in its 2021 SCP.
It noted that the forecast would enable farmers make considerable plan towards the cycle of planting they could embark on in 2021.
NiMet stated that the length of the growing season forecast for 2021 ranged from 110 days to 290 days.
It said the Niger Delta, Rivers and Cross River in the South-East coast would have the longest season, which could prolong beyond 290 days.
The 2021 SCP pointed out that for the farming community in the inland areas of the South, the length of season would likely span between 210 and 260 days.
“Over the North, the length of season is expected between 110 to 160 days,” it stated.
Presenting further highlights of the seasonal prediction, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who inaugurated the 2021 SCP in Abuja, said the 2021 onset of the growing season was predicted to be normal to earlier than normal in most parts of the country.
He said, “The earliest onset date is likely to occur on the 1st March, 2021 along the coastal line of the country while the latest date is anticipated to be around 29th June in the northernmost parts of the country.
“However, later-than-normal onset dates are expected over a few places such as parts of Lagos, Ogun, Kebbi and Niger states.”
