The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently demonstrated to some communities in the Orashi  region of  Rivers State on how they can  utilize water hyacinths to boost food production.
The occasion was the organization  of a two day training covering  concepts  and techniques in production of Organic  fertilizer  from water hyacinth  in Rivers  State organised by the  UNDP in collaboration with Environment and climate  change Amelioration Initiative (ECCAI) under the Niger Delta Biodiversity project  (NDBP) at Ahoada.
According to environmental experts  the weed not only encourages  the breeding of insects, snakes and rodents  but also affects communities within the environment.
Thus the  effort of the  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was to prove to communities that the weed  is not really a menace but a  source of  raw material that can be used to improve farming.
Historical evidence had it that the plant has spongy  and bulbous  stalks with its  roots  hanging freely in the water originated from South America.
According to Abbassi and Nispney (1986), water hyacinths)  is the most reproductive  plant in the world. Gumarsson and  Petersen, 2005 also reported that the  plant can reproduce both sexually and asexually  and  seeds germinate within six months with dry conditions promoting germination.
Meanwhile  declaring the event opened,  the representative of UNDP, Mr. Raymond Enunwaonye said  that  the seminar was to teach communities in the State of the importance of the plant in food production.
Mr. Enunwaonye said that the UNDP is working hard to ensure that communities in the Niger Delta  take  advantage of their abundant natural resources to improve their economy.
According to him, the moment communities become aware of the usefulness of the  plant in the production of composit manure,  its ravaging  effect in the rivers streams and lakes will be reduced.
He urged representatives of farmers cooperatives societies  as well as  environmentalists who attended the training to note every detail with a view to transmitting the knowledge acquired to their various communities.
In her  paper entitled’, “making wealth  from water hyacinth,  the Director Environment  And Climate Change, Amelioration Initiative (ECCLI), Mrs Victoria  Esa,  described  water hyacinth  as one of the World’s  most  invasive  aquatic plants  which has caused   significant ecological  and socio-economic  problem.
Mrs Essa said that, “As  a result of its  proliferation,  this  plant cover large portion of  water and threaten  the survival  of other aquatic  species  because the  dense mat formed by its clusters block  the penetration of sunlight into the water”.
She listed the negative effects of the plant to the aquatic environment to  include; reduction in fishing  activities.
“Their  presence also block animals  and other species  that serve as  food to animals   from accessing the water.
“Fishing activities are greatly affected also because it has been   observed that in areas where there is great   infestation  of water hyacinth,  the water is still  warm and fishes  tend to  disappear.
“Such water bodies have also been  noted suit the prevalence of reptiles  she said.
Essa   however  said that all hope is not lost as the plant can be  utilised by  riverine communities  in the production of food.
She  listed some of the uses of the plant to include, bio fuel  generation  Riverstock  fodder as well as feed  as for cat fish fingerlings.
Other uses according to her  are, as bedding  to grow  mushroom,  water  purification  either for drinking  sewage system as well as in the production of ropes.
In the area of compost production, Essa said that the plant is a good absorber  of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from the water  and therefore serves as a good composit material.
The ECCA Director also said that communities along the River Benue are already using the plant  to produce composit manure  for their  crops, stressing that the situation can be replicated in the Niger Delta.
On his  part, on  Environmentalists, Mr. Simeon Ighodaro  stressed the need  for both the state and local governments in the  Niger Delta to encourage their communities in the conversion of the plant for  compost  manure.
Mr. Ighodaro sid that  by so doing, the government will not only be empowering  their people to remove  the  plant from their water  sources, but boosting  food production in their  states and local Government Areas.
He used the occasion  to commend the  United Nations  Developments Programme (UNDP) for sensitizing communities  on the importance of the weed in food production.
Also speaking the coordinator National Orientation Agency incharge of Ogba Egbema/Ndoni local Government area,  Chief Ifeanyi Nweye said that the seminar will provide  him with the necessary tools to sensitize the people of the area on the importance  of the  plant in farming.
He  also charged those   present at the training to partner  with the National  Orientation   Agency in their various  Local Government Areas to ensure  proper  dissemination of information on the use of  the plant.
Representatives of the various cooperative societies who attended the workshop thanked  the UNDP for bringing  the knowledge to them.
They also pledged  to use  the knowledge   gained from the  event to improve the  agriculture in their communities.
Participants described the workshop  as a welcome  development,  especially coming at a time when the nation is diversifying from  oil to Agriculture.