‘Flood, Blessing In Disguise’

Although most people especially farmers in the rural areas are still counting their losses from the effects of damage done to their farms, the Chairman, Community Development Committee of Aminigboko Community in the Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr. Chukwudi Georgewill, has described the occurrence as a mixed blessing.

Georgewill who spoke to our correspondent over the weekend said the flood had brought a lot of fish to many homes.

He said the price of frozen fish has fallen drastically in his community as many homes could afford fresh fish.

Apart from that, he said the number of fishermen increased within the period of the flooding and expressed optimism that earthen ponds would experience large collection of fish this season.

“Before now when we had no floods, fish was scarce and no body had the desire of going to harvest fish in their ponds.

“But today the locals cannot wait for the dry season to set in so that they can go and “bail” their ponds”, he said.

He further explained that due to the flooding, farmers planted early as places not prone to flooding experienced flooding which prompted them to plan early.

He said the flooding was believed by the local people to come along with nutrients and that was why farmers were scrambling to till their farms.

The CDC Chairman who is also a renowned farmer said cassava particularly would experience bumper harvest as there was surplus of cassava stems due to the mass harvesting occasioned by the flood.

He explained that it was the first time in the history of the community the local people were selling cassava stems and “even at that, the stems were still scarce”, he said.

He was of the opinion that nature has a way of giving back to the people after such an occurrence.

He said he believed there would be bumper harvest as evidenced by the large number of farms already cultivated by the local people.