In the past, harvesting cassava required a hoe; however, these days, harvesting is possible without one, and the tubers are typically small.
By Nwanekwu Faustina Chiwendu
February 5, 2024. 12.26pm
Chijioke Onyenma, a farmer from Omuma in Rivers State in the Niger Delta, plants his cucumbers on three acres of land in the hopes of reaping a bountiful harvest. Unfortunately, due to climate change, the opposite was the case.
Onyenma, who has over two decades of farming experience, stated that the weather has “drastically changed” as it is too harsh [hot] and his crops did not yield the expected fruits. He spent a lot of time planting his crops but harvested very little.
“We are no longer sure of what we are doing,” he told The Colonist Report Africa.
“It has not been easy with us in this business; unlike before, if we venture into business, we will be sure of the weather and the crop production, but now things have changed” and “crops like garden eggs, cucumbers, and cassava rely on the weather to do well.”
Extreme heat has been shown to stunt growth and cause plants to go dormant, and places such as China and the United States are expected to be affected.
Climate change has a regular impact on some Nigerians, with many underprivileged people in local areas bearing the brunt of the consequences. Omuma is an agricultural community known for producing yam and cassava, which are used to make local dishes such as the popular garri.
The Colonist Report Africa observes that climate change has had a negative impact on food production and consumption. As a result, a large number of fruits and crops that are essential for human survival are rarely seen, resulting in exorbitant food costs that exceed the financial capabilities of the majority of low-income Nigerians.
Rivers State is known for its food production and abundance of seafood; it is home to multinational corporations such as Italian Eni, French TotatEnergies, and British Shell, among others. The state’s climate disaster has worsened, and some of it has been attributed to human activity such as oil spills and gas flaring.
Research has shown that gas flaring and oil spills contribute to climate change, which has an impact on the environment, and the Niger Delta region is no exception.
Emmanuel Fubara, an octogenarian who has spent his entire life in Goi, southeast River State, recalls seeing his mother plant crops and reap a bountiful harvest when he was younger, but now the soil is no longer producing fruit.
“This place was fertile land,” he said, pointing to the farmland. “When I was small, I saw my mom plant here, but now nothing is going on.”
Goi is one of the Niger Delta communities attempting to recover from the environmental damage caused by oil spills. Fubara told The Colonist Report Africa that high temperatures, shifting rain patterns, and constant pollution are all harming agricultural products like maize, garden eggs, vegetables, cucumbers, and aquaculture.
“In the past, you planted cassava, and without a hoe, you couldn’t harvest it, but now, you can just harvest without a hurdle, and the tubers usually come out small.”
The Community Research and Development Centre (CREDC) stated in its 2007 publication, Coping with Climate Change and Environmental Degradation in the Niger Delta of Southern Nigeria, that the Niger Delta’s location on the world’s coast makes it especially vulnerable to adverse environmental changes caused by climate change.
Sea level rise is already causing flooding in the world’s coastal regions, according to CREDC. The organisation also notes that, in addition to the effects of climate change, the region is dealing with a number of environmental problems orchestrated by oil exploration and exploitation activities.
The issue leaves a dire strain on the people of the Niger Delta, as reports on the environmental state of the Niger Delta are conclusive that the area has become an ecological wasteland.
Effects on food production and consumption
Paddy Dooh, a fisherman from Goi, usually transversed the sea from Goi to Andoni and then to Bonny in search of fish to sell at the seashore of Goi, but since the incessant oil spill, he has abandoned fishing for artisan jobs.
The constant oil spills in Gio have forced many residents to migrate from their ancestral homes to nearby communities such as Bodo, Kpor, Kdere, and others, as the spills have destroyed their farmlands and made fishing difficult.
The Goi Community waterfront once housed a seaside fish market, which drew customers from neighbouring coastal communities as well as those from cities. The area was a hub of activity. “Business was thriving on this shore, and this location used to house a jetty where boats left for Bonny, and in addition to being a fish market, trucks came from all over to buy sand from the river,” Dooh told The Colonist Report Africa.
Menesaa Saturday, a farmer who also doubles it with fish trading at the Gio waterside told The Colonist Report Africa that the oil spill in Gio affected her farmlands. She once cultivated melon, cassava, and maize but has now stopped due to the oil spills that destroyed her farmland.
She said: ‘I have been a farmer right from the beginning. When the land was good, I planted for sale and had customers from far and near who came to patronise us, but since the pollution, I only farm for domestic consumption,” she whimpered.
Saturday claimed that before the oil spill, economic activity thrived in the community, but “you can see how dry the road is now; this place used to be very busy,” she revealed.
Nelubari Esther, a fish seller at Gokana Market for over a decade, is feeling the effects of climate change and environmental pollution on her business. The scarcity of fish in Goi and Bodo, both located in Gokana LGA, is affecting fish market sales.
Esther, who now deals with homegrown catfish, explained that the business thrived when they bought directly from the sea rather than from a third party.
She told The Colonist Report that she had to travel longer distances to buy the catfish she sells, but because the fish is so expensive, she does not make good sales.
Esther said: “It is usually expensive for me. Before now, I bought fish from the neighbouring village and the riverside, and it was quite cheap. Buying from Port Harcourt and travelling adds extra cost to the price of the fish.”
Leticia Obianime, a broadcast journalist from Port Harcourt, told The Colonist Report Africa that she used to love eating seafood because it was so inexpensive, but that these days, the cost of seafood is always rising.
“Before, you went by the shore of the river and you got periwinkle, but now it’s almost impossible.
“These seafoods were the cheapest commodity in Rivers State because of its coastal status, but in recent times, you can’t buy anything with 5000 naira (£3),” she added.
Chibeyin Ajoku, 40, of the Omuanwa community, remembers that when he was younger, on Saturdays when there was no school, he and other family members would get up early to go hunting for snails in the surrounding farms and bushes.
He told The Colonist Report Africa, “When these snails were picked, they would be used to cook different delicacies and it was our major source of protein because it was affordable, and some will be sold at the marker.” “However, these snails are no longer available to us, and the ones we see in the market are domestic snails and are very expensive. Four pieces can be sold for N2,000, he said.”
What is the government doing
Sunday Agba, a deputy director at the Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, told The Colonist Report Africa that the decline in food production in Rivers State extends beyond climate and environmental concerns.
According to Agba, who also serves as the head of the Agriculture Department in Rivers State, urbanisation is a critical factor influencing crop production, alongside insecurity. Arable lands have been replaced by physical structures, resulting in insufficient food production for the population.
He noted that, while government efforts may be inadequate, most farmers are hesitant to use soil supports to improve land arability.
Contrary to popular belief, the government has a symbiotic relationship with farmers in Rivers State, and the State Ministry’s door is open to farmers and fishermen seeking professional assistance in navigating the complexities of the crises caused by climate and environmental issues, according to Agba.
“In the 23 local government areas of the state, its extension officers are equipped to address challenges encountered by farmers, if any. “We open our doors for them. All 23 LGs have agricultural officers, and when the divisional agricultural officers get information, they feed us.”
ACTIVIST VIEWS
The Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre’s (YEAC) executive director, Fyneface Dumnamene, has been promoting clean environments in Niger Delta communities. According to him, environmental pollution has a major impact on food production and quality of life in most of the Gokana communities, including Bomo, K-dere, B-dere, Bodo, and Goi, as well as the local government areas of Tera-wei, Busu, Bere, and Khana. This impact extends beyond the Rivers South East Ogoni region.
Dumnamene said in an interview with The Colonist Report Africa that people’s diets have been influenced by environmental issues. He recalls going to Gio and seeing a fisherman return from his fishing trip with a small tilapia. “We opened the bottle of tilapia and discovered crude oil inside.”
Though the government has taken steps to restore the areas impacted by environmental pollution in Ogoni Land, the environmental pollution in Ogoni is very high, he said, adding that “the process is still slow, yet the impact of the pollution is persisting and is massive, as fishermen and farmers can neither fish nor farm.”
Dumnamene said: “Despite the years spent to remediate the environment, I cannot say that the people are recovering their land to the extent that they can freely plant and harvest quality,” he added.
Dumnamene wants the government to train local farmers and teach them how to produce food in a polluted environment. He also wants the remediation action to be carried out holistically and finished on time to restore the environment for food production to continue.
In order to increase food sufficiency and quality, he stated that collaboration with internal organisations is essential and that the government should provide farmers with grants, modern farming techniques, and improved seedlings to rapidly increase their output.
“These are some of the ways to mitigate the impact of climate and environmental crises on food production in Rivers State, as whatever affects these communities affects the state and invariably will affect food sufficiency and cost in the state.”
Editing by Elfredah kevin-Alerechi
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