Nigeria Weather Chief Says Floods May Hurt Cocoa, Favor Rice
- At least 32 of 36 states predicted to experience flooding
- Minister expects domestic rice output to meet demand this year
Cocoa beans.
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Floods predicted to sweep across most of Nigeria this year may imperil the West African country’s cocoa crop while boosting its rice output, the head of its meteorological agency said.
At least 32 of the country’s 36 states, including those that span the southern cocoa belt, are likely to experience flooding during the current wet season due to irregular rainfall patterns, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, also known as NiMet, said in its weather outlook for this year.