By; MKPUMA ENYINNA, Abakaliki
Following the rising cost of agricultural food commodities, a non- governmental organization, Association of Micro-Credit Institutions of Nigeria (AMCIN), has called on government and farmers to embrace organic farming to boost food security and productivity in the country.
In a chat with newsmen in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, the South East Coordinator of AMCIN, Princess Comfort Ifesinachi Nweke lamented the decrease in food production in the country, which has affected and crippled the nation’s economy.
Nweke, said that the farmers are lagging behind in agriculture due to lack of proper advancement and new approach to agriculture, maintaining that one among the solutions to this challenge is an aggressive push to boost agricultural productivity and reduce the high prices of major staple foods in Nigeria.
“Soil fertility, biodiversity, environmental benefits, and others are some of the benefits of organic agriculture. The produce last longer, with rich health benefits in human system than chemically raised crops.
“We have Apex 10, which is organic manure, a crop you use it for instance, tomatoes raised with Apex-10, will last more than two months before it decays. You can apply it in tomato, rice, maize or other crops and we advice every farmer to go into organic farming because the produce is healthier than chemically raised produce.
“USAID in partnership with AMCIN gave us the mandate to capture 25,000 farmers in Ebonyi State, just like other selected states partnering them.
“Currently, we have captured over 3,000 indigent farmers during our visitation at Ogbala and the sensitization is ongoing, however, our data only targets real farmers as value chain given to Ebonyi is rice and maize.
“AMCIN is out to raise farmers who will have a lot for themselves and enough to import and has toured all parts of the state and was marveled to see that Izzi has the highest rice farmers in Ebonyi State”, she said.
She added that, government should partner fully with AMCIN and introduce small holders farmers like seen in the North.
“It is a programme designed to give grants of between 50,000 to rural farmers, especially widows and some youth, while we monitor it to be rotational and by extension, will recover it and give to other groups.
“The only challenge to farmers in Ebonyi is finance, else, farmers here will do well when monitored by AMCIN, because we have given loans at different times with marvelous results in all local government areas, especially the over five hundred persons trained by Songhai who we gave money through their cooperatives and recovering them wasn’t difficult because they have coordinators who report to us from the well established procedures that strengthen the system”.
South East Coordinator of AMCIN applauded the Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Honourable Francis Nwifuru for supporting agricultural productivity, saying the governor months ago, sent 100 youth on agricultural skills training to enable them become rich and become employers of labour who will help to eradicate poverty in Ebonyi State and to ensure food security.
“I encourage Ebonyi State Government to continue supporting genuine farmers and whatever they wish to invest in AMCIN that they should do it without doubt, because we have their data. If we empower these rural women in farming business, they have the strength to bring down price of garri to 500 Naira within one farming season”.
