Why Taraba farmers plant melon early despite warnings

As farmers begin early planting of melon (Agushi) in Taraba State, experts have advised them to take the prediction on the start and cessation of rainfall seriously. The practice of planting melon seed by farmers in four local areas of the state after recording first rain of the year is because the crop is drought […]

As farmers begin early planting of melon (Agushi) in Taraba State, experts have advised them to take the prediction on the start and cessation of rainfall seriously.

The practice of planting melon seed by farmers in four local areas of the state after recording first rain of the year is because the crop is drought resistant and mature within two months after planting.

Farmers also embraced the crop because it does not need fertiliser application to give good yield.

Farmers in Sardauna, Bali, Gassol, Gashaka and part of Ardo Kola local government areas started planting melon and some other crops three weeks ago.

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The development, it was gathered, was as a result of rainfall recorded in the area late February this year.

Our finding revealed that farmers take advantage of the early maturing nature of the crop to make money.

A farmer, Ali Maihula, told Daily Trust on Sunday  that both small and large scale farmers in Taraba State grow melon as an easy way of making money to invest in their farming activities.

He said melon is usually planted around March when the first rainfall of the year is recorded and within a period of two months, the crop is harvested.

Ali Maihula stated further that melon is a farmer friendly crop which does not require fertiliser application and can be planted on all type of soil.

“Melon farming has been a good source of income which l engage more on my farming activities every year,” Maihula said.

Another farmer Yakubu Rabiu told Daily Trust on Sunday that by middle of May or May ending, melon is harvested across all farming communities in the state.

He said after washing the seed, it will be dried by the road side and buyers are always available.

Rabiu said a 100kg bag of newly harvested melon seed is sold at between N20,000 and N25,000.

According to him, a farmer who harvested 30 bags of melon seed will make between N600,000 to N700,000 and it will be enough to pay for labour and buy fertiliser and other inputs for his farming activities.

He said the crop is a good source of money to farmers in Taraba State even as land where melon is grown could be used to plant other crops like maize, rice and soya beans.

“Melon farming is a good source of money to farmers in Taraba state and that is why most farmers practice it, “Rabiu said.

An official of the Taraba State ministry of Agriculture, who will not like his name mentioned told our reporter that rainfall will start in local government areas in the northern part of the state in the second week of April and in the southern part of the state in the first week of April.

He further revealed that the Nigerian metrological Agency (NiMET) which gives the prediction also revealed that cessation of rainfall in the northern and southern part of Taraba State will be in October and November.

The official also advised farmers to grow early maturing crops like groundnut and Soya beans alongside crops like maize to mitigate cost of early cessation of rainfall.

The Nigerian metrological Agency, according to the official, also warned farmers of possible reoccurrence of heavy flooding in states where flood disaster was recorded last year.

Meanwhile, farmers interviewed said they would avoid river side this cropping season to avoid the kind of loss they experienced through last year’s flooding.

A farmer, Sule Mutumbiyu, who lost his three rice farms, said he would farm far away from the side of River Benue.

He told our reporter that last year, there was a warning that there was going to be flood in areas located by the River Benue but most farmers did not heed to that advice.

Sule Mutumbiyu stated further that he was yet to recover from what he lost, adding that no relief assistance was given to the victims of the flood disaster.