By Sandra Kenneth
The President of the Niger Delta Integrated Farmers Association of Nigeria (NDIFAN), Julius Okpahe-Wodah, has urged farmers across the South-South, South-East, and South-West geopolitical zones to brace for potential crop losses caused by relentless heavy rainfall across the country.
Speaking in an interview with Exceed FM, Okpahe-Wodah raised alarms that continuous downpours—occurring as many staple crops near harvest—pose a direct threat to soil health, plant stability, post-harvest processing, and overall market value.
He explained that prolonged waterlogging starves the soil of vital oxygen, creating conditions that accelerate root rot and make crops vulnerable to soil-borne pathogens, bacteria, and fungal diseases.
The farmers’ leader added that excessive precipitation risks causing widespread “lodging” in cereal crops like rice and maize—a condition where heavy rainfall and saturated ground weaken plant stalks, causing them to collapse before they can be harvested.
To cushion the impact of changing weather patterns and prevent severe yield losses, Okpahe-Wodah advised farmers in Rivers State and neighboring southern regions to immediately adopt climate-smart agricultural techniques to protect food security and safeguard their livelihoods.
