Agriculture
Traditional Ruler Tasks Farmers On 2013 Flooding
A traditional ruler from Owerewer in the Abua/Odual local government area of Rivers State, Chief Tony Muzan has called on farmers in the state to take proactive measures to ensure that this year’s anticipated flooding does not take them unawares.
Chief Muzan, A retired Assistant Controller of Customs who spoke to our correspondent in a telephone interview recently, said the farmers should avoid the mistakes of the past by erecting platforms high enough to put their harvested crops.
“Let every farmer ensure that platforms are erected to enable them put their harvested products as soon as the flood comes around this year,” she said.
According to him, it was unfortunate that the federal government has not shown interest to the plight of the farmers in the past and wondered what action they would take now.
“As far as I am concerned, the farmers are on their own.
“Since the political group and persons have refused to show interest, I think the farmers should take the bull by the horns,” he said.
He further advised the farmers to group themselves and make presentation to the government to enable them take proper record of all their past losses.
In a related development, a university don, Dr Steve Wordu, has called on the federal and state governments to formulate policies that would be favourable to farmers.
Dr Wordu of the sociology department of the University of Port Harcourt in an interview with our correspondent recently in Port Harcourt said the welfare of farmers in relation to flooding was a matter of Federal and State policy.
According to him, the expected 2013 flooding was beyond the provision of seedlings and farming inputs without addressing the effects of last year’s flooding to the farmers.
He said flood prone areas should be properly monitored because farmers have already planted their crops.
“The farmers have already planted so seedling is not the issue now, the issue is how to protect the harvest from flooding,” he said.
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.