Chief Forecaster, Tijani Bojang sensitizing farmers in NBR

In a move to aid farmers with early warning information to enhance decision-making on best timing to grow crops and increase agricultural productivity in the upcoming rainy season, officials of the Department of Water Resources with the support from FAO kicked-off a nationwide dissemination of the 2023 Seasonal Outlook for the period of July, August, and September to end users on Monday, 05 June.

The Chief Forecaster Tijani Bojang and his  delegation gave detailed explanations of the rainfall seasonal forecast during a courtesy call on the Governor of the North Bank Region (NBR). This was followed by an hour-long prime time radio talk-shows at Kerewan and Farafenni Radio Stations. 

The Chief Forecaster advised farmers in NBR to begin cultivation of their crops between the 15 to 20  June 2023, this period he went on, is the predicted start of the Cropping Season in NBR.  He estimated that the rainy season will end between 15 to 25 October. He emphasized that “It is essential to note that in the beginning, the rain will be fairly continuous and sufficient to provide adequate soil moisture for planting. Soil moisture will be maintained as the season advances for successful establishment of crops.”

 Bojang, a seasoned meteorologist with tens of years of experience is knowledgeable about the importance of seasonal forecast to farmers  looking for good harvests. He advised farmers to strictly adhere to the forecast recommendations based on its reliability.   He recalled that “When the Department of Water Resources issued an outlook of last year’s season, stating that the rains for the cropping season were predicted to start from 12 to 18  June 2022, some farmers defied our forecast and cultivated their crops before the time we predicted, but to their disbelief, the crops went on to mature while it was still heavily raining, leading to a post harvest crop losses.”

 NBR is one of the regions where rain-fed agriculture is predominantly practiced. The region is expected to receive around 900mm of rain between July to September this year, the highest in the country. There may be 7 to 9 days of dry spells. According to the Chief Forecaster, the expected amount of rain will be sufficient for crop production.

 Adding his voice to the calls for farmers to adhere to the messages being disseminated by the Government, the Deputy Regional Director of Agriculture for NBR, Baba Daffeh encouraged  farmers in his region to grow early maturing crop varieties and to plant on time.

 The 2023 farmer sensitization drive got off to a good start. Positive feedback was  received from the two talk shows as listeners phoned in and gave their contributions. Many assured the early warning team that they will adhere to the seasonal recommendations and valued the guidance.