Agriculture
Flood: Forests Should Be Left To Regenerate-Expert
Following the devastating effects of the recent flooding on farm lands and forests mainly in the Niger Delta region of the country, a forestry expert, Mr. Fredrick Nwokocha, has cautioned against unwholesome activities in the forests to allow for gradual regeneration.
Mr. Nwokocha, a former director of forestry in the Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture who gave the advice over the weekend in Port Harcourt in an exclusive interview said the implications for the forests were numerous.
He revealed that most timber seedlings and shrubs which constitute forest undergrowth would suffocate.
He explained that the life of non timber forestry produce like mushrooms, Snails among others would surely be lost to the flood adding that the eggs of snails would burst due to saturation.
He further explained that apart from the bigger timber that would survive, regeneration for smaller timbers would not be favourable as the natural conditions for regeneration was almost absent.
He said the process of fresh trees growing was minimal as the topsoil and organic soil have been deprived of nutrients that have been washed away from the root zone of trees making it unavailable for frees to grow properly.
He further advised that the forests be allowed to regenerate naturally as what has been lost could not be replanted like the conventional annual Crops.
He called on the authorities to carryout sensitisation programmes to enable the people control their activities in the forests.
On the effect of the flood on animal life, the former director said animals nearing extinction were in more danger of going completely extinct.
He said that faster ones would run in to danger even as some would even end up being caught by man.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.