Invest in agriculture, feed the state, Akwa Ibomites told

BY CHRISTIAN MOSES

As food price soar in response to growing demand and low food production, due to the negligence of agric business to crude oil exploration in the country. It has now become a necessity for Akwa Ibom state government, cooperate bodies and individuals to invest in agriculture, in order to feed the state and the entire nation.

According to a food scientist Dr. Samuel Ephraim, agriculture is being neglected by the Akwa Ibom state government. This could be seen in the state yearly budget, “like this year, only 43 per cent or N130.85 billion is proposed for economy development, which comprise ministry of works, finance, agriculture, commerce and industry, and science and technology; out of the total N469.3billon for 2014 year budget. And at the end only small proportion from the 43 per cent or N130.85billion from the economy development would be channel to agriculture.

The worst of all is that, this small proportion is not adequately utilized in agricultural sector. Sometimes the money is either being embezzled by our political leaders or spent on frivolous matters that will not boost the growth of agriculture in the state.

   Dr. Obot  Akpabio a lecturer in Akwa Ibom state university, in an interview session with said that, investing in agriculture is one of the most important and effective strategies for economy development and poverty reduction in the state. If the investment is directed towards sustainable forms of agriculture. This will make farming a weapon, use in fighting against dangerous global warming, as more environmental friendly farming methods will result in soil absorbing carbon dioxide rather releasing it.

  According to him, “if the state government intensify agriculture to produce food while producing less greenhouse gas emission then it will deliver benefits in terms of climate change as well- reducing emissions and increasing food security in the state”.

  He said, government should invest in agriculture by providing more farming implements like tractors, hatchers and many others at subsidize rate to farmers. As these will help to facilitate farming process in the state. According to him, there is no hatchery industry in the state.       

    
He called on the state government to provide storage facilities for farmers, so that they can store their farm produced. In order to salvage food scarcity and reducing wastage. He “said as we can see now, this season is corn season, and everybody is enjoying fresh corn. But before August or there about, there will be nothing like fresh corn again in the state. But if you travel to state like Cross River state or Benue state , you will see that they have fresh corn whether it is its season or not, because they have storage facilities.

   Mr. Ikomima Thomas an agriculturist, in an interview, said that farmers in Akwa Ibom state are neglected by the state government, agencies, and individuals. “ apart from a farmer being a friend to a farmer no body will like to associate with a farmer. Because they view farming as menial tedious job that will not exalt their personality, especially the area of crop production. So, for this state to invest in agriculture successfully, they must embrace it as a prestigious profession and not because it put food on their table.

  He said, if the government in particular embraced agric business, they will see the need to empower human resource development, just like they do in other professions like medicine, law and engineering etc. He said, the government always empowered human resource development in those professions, by sending graduate and undergraduate in those professions to go and study abroad and at times, the government subsidize for school fees those ones that are schooling here in Nigeria, but the reverse is the case in agric sector.

  Mr. Thomas also called on government to set out large hectares of land mass for agricultural practice. Since there is no such thing in the state, exception of the cross River basin authority at Abak and rice farm at Onna local government area, which are federal government project. So the state government should invest in this kind of project. In stead of fighting for oil wells because I wonder what will be their fate, when there is no more oil for drilling.

  So the state government should set out large hectares of land mass, so that crops like vitamin A yellow variety of cassava, that is good in checking eyes blindness could be planted. And it will serves as both food and therapy for the people” The agriculturist also advised both the state government and the public to invest on livestock, like , fishery, grass cutter and poultry. Since the fulhani cattle’s breed, can not survive in this environment due to tsetse flies. But we have the Africa dwarf goat that can survive in this region, so the state government should develop this breed, by training veterinary doctors that can take care of them, subsidize their feeds and also set out plot of lands for planting of those forages they browse.

  He also added that, if the government continue to ignore agric sector then people in the state, especially the less privilege will continue to go hungry, while the entire state Will be shambled when there is no more crude oil to drill in the state.