Flood destroys 50 hectares of rice farm in Anambra

Farmers in Achalla, Awka North local government area of Anambra state are still counting their losses following the devastating flood that ravaged the farmlands in the area.

Over 50 hectares of rice farm in the council area was said to have been destroyed by flood after heavy rainfall that lasted several hours.

Newly planted rice seedlings, as well as other food crops, were reportedly submerged in the flood.

A victim whose rice farm was submerged, Chief Charles Okadigbo, revealed that they had chosen to cultivate early in order to avert the incident at the nursery stage. He, however, regretted that flood suddenly submerged over 50 out of the 90 hectares of rice farm cultivated despite the time, money and efforts committed to the project.

He described the farm proceeds lost to the flood as unqualifiable, wondering what would become their fate in the next farming season.

Okadigbo appealed for the assistance of both the federal and state governments to the farmers in the area with improved seedlings including high capacity yielding rice seeds to cushion the effect of the disaster. “There’s no access roads to our farms which makes it difficult for us to bring out our farm proceeds during harvest time,” he lamented.

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Another victim, Mr. Pat Dilibe from Udezu Achalla decried the huge loss incurred at such early stage of farming season, calling on government to assist the rural farmers. He said, “We need farm inputs like fertiliser, loan, tractors as well as construction of some feeder roads to assist us in accessing our farmlands.”

According to him, the farmers had resorted to the use of pumping machine to suck out the flood water which covered the already cultivated farmlands.

Credit: OrientDailyNews