As part of efforts to solve the problem of climate change, the Katsina State government in collaboration with The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NIMET) has developed an android application for weather prediction and adaptation.
The NIMET Android Weather Prediction Phone is designed to help farmers in the 34 local governments of the state know the weather of a particular area within the state and what crop to plant and when to plant.
The Managing Director Katsina State Agriculture Development Programme Mr. Ibrahim Shehu Musawa stated this recently in Katsina State at the sideline of the 4-day entrepreneurship training organised by WAAPP-Nigeria in the state.
Mr. Musawa said the device is part of a measure taken to help farmers in the state cope with the effects of desertification caused by climate change
He said the device is designed to tell farmers when rainfall is expected to start, when it will stop and the amount of rainfall expected in all the thirty four local Government
“If you click any local government on the phone, it would show you all the weather conditions, the time and amount of rain fall in such area, the cessation of rain in such area and if you click on crops, it will reveal the types of crops to be cultivated.
“It will enhance weather prediction for farmers which is very important. this technology came into place as a result of research and it will go on an on-station trier at the research institutes to ascertain it viability, adaptability as well as sustainability with farmer,” he explained.
He added that after the research, it would go into an on farm trier where it would be tested on the farmers so as to show the farmers the importance of the technology, because the technology is brought in consideration of the changes in climate affecting agricultural production in the country.
“Since climate is a combination of the rainfall, sunshine and humidity, all these affect the agricultural production that was why this technology was brought in so as to introduce to the farmers the improved varieties crops that can withstand changes in these factors mentioned earlier.
“Already programmes are being installed for the forecast of weather in the Katsina state as a pilot state. We have all the 34 local government computerize on the phone and in each local government we have rainfall, draught predictions. If you click on a local government, it will request if you want to know anything about weather in the LG and what crops to be planted, early rain and the cessation time. This android is very importance in the planning of agricultural production, especially WAAPP and other stakeholders, so that we can be able to recommend it to other farmers to help them overcome their weather challenges.
