Mr. Samuel Kojo Somuah, Manager of Adaptive Trust Station under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture at Somanya has reiterated the position that modern farming trends work in hand with the Meteorological services of Ghana and should hence be an integral part of the agricultural activities of the country.
Mr. Somuah said in an interview with Edwin Larbi on Rite FM’s Agrotech show that farmers ought to follow the weather prediction of the meteorological services, a body that is mandated with forecasting weather situations in the country.
He was emphatic that though their forecasts are always not 100% accurate, those forecasts are invariably the same nevertheless sometimes since contemporary farming works in hand with the Meteorological services.
“Modern farming works in hand with the meteorological services and therefore every farmer must follow the weather prediction of the meteorological services,” Mr. Somuah underscored.
He however cautioned farmers to make provisions for any circumstances even if they must follow the forecasts of the meteorological services.
“If farmers make substantial investments in planting crops because the meteorological services have made a prediction of a heavy downpour for a particular month, the farmers must nevertheless make other provisions in case the rains do not come down to prevent losses to the farmers,” he advised.
He reiterated that some crops need water to grow very well to yield more.
Mr. Somuah encouraged farmers to respect the various periods of planting which include planting, growing and harvesting to avoid losses.
“Farmers must respect the various periods of planting which include planting, growing and harvesting and if there is a problem in any of these stages then farmers are at a loss,” he said.
Irrigation
According to Mr. Somuah, though irrigation is important for every Farmer, not every farmer have the benefit of a proximity to a river, pond, lake, etc.
He maintains that farms which are closer to water bodies have a great advantage for irrigation.
He urged farmers to consult Agric experts on planting during times of water shortages due to climatic changes.
He argued that some farmers may get enough water for irrigation but due to climatic changes, water may be hard to come by and farmers must therefore take steps to avoid losses.
He added that farmers must check the water for irrigation, its potential density, sustainability and quality in order to check the type of irrigation to engage.
“If the water for irrigation is not up to standard, you do not sprinkle or flood irrigation for the water to sustain the life span of the crops,” he cautioned.
Source: ritefmonline.org
