Climate services in agricultural extension

Seasonal climate and crop calendar

We start with two localities (Maga or Yagoua) of the Mayo Danay division’s average monthly
temperatures. We proceed the same way for the past 10 or 15 years average temperatures.
Main features that we will want to immediately note are the overall shape of the
temperature curve, temperature peaks (hottest and coldest month), annual average
temperature, and the temperature variation through the year (and the last decade or so).

Figure 1: Monthly temperature (°C ) in Maga or Yagoua (we shall reproduce similar curve
for the past decade as well)

Next, we turn to the monthly rainfall curve. Again, the overall shape of the rainfall curve as
well as peaks is important to note. Looking for distinct wet and dry seasons and how they
compare to the total annual rainfall will give us crucial information for relating seasonal
climate to crop calendar data.
Figure 2: Monthly rainfall (mm) in Maga or Yagoua (we shall reproduce similar curve for
the past decade as well)

The local cropping calendar determines much of the daily life in the Mayo Danay division.
After gathering the data from the Farmers Association Office, you ask a kid on the street and
unsurprisingly she can recite the growing seasons for major crops without missing a beat.
Important information for us to include is if crops are grown throughout the year, which
months feature a concentration of different crops’ growing seasons, and when crops are in
different stages of the crop growth cycle.

Figure 3: Cropping calendar (J: January, F: February…) in the Mayo Danay Division (or the
Far North Region of Cameroon as a whole)

Finally, we turn our attention to climatic risks and recurring extreme weather events
plaguing floodplain (Yaere)’s farmers in the Far North Region. From the climatic risk calendar
we will want to gain a good understanding of which types of climatic risks are commonly
observed and how they are distributed throughout the year. Main determinants of
extreme weather events are precipitation and temperature. Is this the case in Maga or
Yagoua? Are there additional factors that deserve our attention?
Figure 4: Climate risk calendar (J: January, F: February…) in Maga or Yagoua

We have now gathered and examined the central data on Maga or Yagoua’s seasonal
climate and cropping pattern. Now we can start to make initial inferences about the
relationship between agricultural productivity and the climatic situation like temperature,
precipitation and extreme weather events. We connect the dots by systematizing the
gathered data in a simple table. On that basis, we can discern patterns and develop some
initial thoughts on what the emerging picture implies for the area in so far as livelihoods-
agriculture activities and projects are planning.