Food Crisis: Agriculturists Emphasize Late Planting, Fish Farming

By Etok Okon

A professor of crop science at the University of Uyo, Prof. Godwin Udom has emphasized late planting as a measure to contend food shortage and the attendant economic recession in the country.

Prof. Udom emphasized this recently while exchanging views with our reporter in his office, on the current economic situation in the State and the country. He noted that any economic system in which agriculture is relegated is bound to experience food shortage and other economic crises arising from insufficient distribution of food as energy booster of manpower, and raw materials needed to sustain agro-materials-based industries.

The crop scientist who has basis for crop reproduction and management, regretted that farmers in Akwa Ibom State have done away with late planting in recent times, which according to the professor, was part of the indigenenous farming systems that encouraged all-year-round food production and reduced the effect of food shortage on the society to insignificant level of experience in the past.

While urging farmers in the State to return to the practice of late farming to raise the volume of food production in the State, the agricultural science pundit, called on the State government to set up a scheme that would promote late planting in the State and restore availability of food to homes and raw materials to agro-based industries in the country.

In the same vein, the Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the State, Dr. Peter Umanah, advocated investment in the development of aqua-culture, stressing that aquatic lives have potential to increase the bio-energy requirements of humans to increase production level, while also, contributing to the industrialization and employment capacity in the State.

Dr. Umanah noted that fishery, as a major aquatic farm venture has not been given adequate attention by both individual farmers and corporate bodies, arguing that Akwa Ibom State has fewer corporate fish farms compared to what is obtained in some other parts of the country.

He noted that fishery has lesser risks than many agricultural businesses, and maintained that the most prominent risk factor in fishery business is the challenge of maintaining a favourable acid/base level of the pond to enhance survival and production capacity of fish.

The Federal Director, however, called on investors in the State to establish fisheries and factories for processing of fish products, for domestic use and for export to earn higher income. 

Culled from The Sensor Newspaper