By Fatima Muraina

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Ondo state farmers have been advised to clear their farms by adopting the use of boundary cleaning to avoid fire outbreak.
The Programme Manager of Agro Climatology Department of the Ondo state Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Sunday Akintomide gave the advice in a chat with The Hope in Akure.
Akintomide said they should do proper cleaning, ensuring that about two to five feet between their farms and other farms are well cleared without any drop of dry leaves which might attract fire outbreak.
“Ensure that about two to five feet between farms are cleared and ensure that trees with extended branches that can attract fire are trimmed very well. The fallen leaves should be cleared so that they do not easily attract fire.”
He also advised farmers to reconsider their health status, saying their health and that of their families should be a priority considering the harsh harmattan .
He said people should make sure that they are in good condition of health, ensuring that they cover their children with good clothing and keep their animals in a close environment to avoid effect of harmattan on them.
An agronomist and Senior lecturer at the Federal College of Agriculture (FECA) Dr. Emmanuel Moyin-Jesu urged farmers to avoid bush burning and to ensure they carefully quench fire they might have made.
According to him, farmers should gather the dry leaves and branches in batches and burn them at those points of collection so that they do not spread.
“They should do what we call fire tracing around their farms at least a meter round the boundary of their farms and from neighbouring farm so that fire do not jump from adjoining farms,” he advised.
Moyin-Jesu advised on the need to make available a fire extinguisher in case of any eventuality.