Tina Amanda
An Agriculturist in Rivers state, Emmanuel Ogbonda has called on the state government to brace up to its responsibility by reviving Songhai farm in Tai, School to Land in Obio/Akpor local government areas and other agriculture projects, in order to boost food production across the state.
Ogbonda who is the Supervising Agric Trade Group, Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, maintained that if the cassava processing plant and other government acquired farm lands is immediately put into use as the farming season sets in, it will greatly tackle hunger and food shortage experienced presently.
He urged the state government to employ the right people with the interest to run, improve and revive the Agric sector, as Agriculture remains the only source to boost the state and nation’s GDP if given adequate attention, while calling for the removal of all those driving the agric affairs as the sector is dwindling.
“Government should stop paying lips service to Agriculture, the cassava processing plant commissioned last year by the Rivers State government is one area that would have improved the economic of the state if taking serious. We have not fed well with government promises towards agric.
“Our problem with this good plan is the situation where those who are appointed to drive the sector in the state keep politicizing agric plans and project. The cassava processing plant should have kicked off by now and farmers would have been mobilized to commence massive cassava planting in this farming season.
“I’m using this opportunity to appeal to government, if we want agriculture to grow in the state, the Songhai farm, school to land and some government farm lands lying fallow should be used for agric produce. We should realize that it is high time we work together to promote Agric. I’m afraid that if we don’t take the bull by the horns, our tomorrow will be nightmare and hunger will ravage the people”.
Ogbonda also called on government at all levels to redefined agriculture by allocating huge budget, noting that the sector is dwindling due to lack of appropriate funding to the real farmers.
“Agriculture needs to be redefined, let’s everyone get on round table to fight food shortage in the country. Funds are not enough, they claim to be disbursing fund for agric purpose yet so many states government and people cannot access the fund.
“The federal government only give agric funds to few individuals, it is not evenly distributed and most times these funds are being disbursed for non-agriculture purpose.
“Also the issue of insecurity is another area hampering agric produce. Food scarcity is as a result of most states are faced with insecurity challenges. In such areas, farmers remains in IDP camps not having access to their farm lands due to banditry, government should proffer urgent solutions to tackle insecurity in their areas.”
