‘Farmers Were Scared Of 2013 Flooding’

A university teacher, Prof.
Ndowa Lale of the University of Port Harcourt, has said that most of the farmers who kept away from cultivating their land in 2013 due to the expected flooding were scared.
Prof. Lale of the department of crop and soil science who spoke to our correspondent yesterday in a telephone interview said the farmers were scared that they don’t want to throw their money away particularly because of the predictions.
He said the development was going to affect output and the food security of the nation.
According to him the adverse effect was that food prices would go up and people would go hungry with the attendant increase in maturation as the bottom-line.
Prof. Lale said famers livelihood would be threatened because their revenue base will be affected.
On measures needed to forestall the negative impact of the development, the university don said practical steps should be taken to explore the area that were not affected by the flood.
He said that since the flood was not all over the country, vigorous agricultural activities should be carred out in areas that were not affected by the flood.
He said this will ensure compensation to the areas that were affected by the flood then as he said the government needed to drive the process.
According to Prof. Lale, “So if everybody goes to sleep and everybody is busy playing politics then the big boys who are in politics won’t be affected”.
He said they have money so it is the ordinary people that would suffer and contend  with the food insecurity problems that may arise. Explaining further, he said most of the people were public servants who do not hold political office, adding that political office holders were the richest in the Nigerian society.

President Goodluck Jonathan (2nd right), inspecting fish and fishery products during the launch of dry season farm support programme in Abuja last Monday. With him are, Vice President Namadi Sambo (2nd left), Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina (right) and Chief Executive, Fish and Fishery Product Exporter, Mrs Jerry Uwheraka. Photo: NAN.