Former Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in the state, Obong Eno Akpan, has hailed Large-Scale Farmers’ Association in Akwa Ibom for its determination to redress the precarious food crisis in the country.
Poised to address the high cost of food items in the country , the federal government one week ago, ordered immediate release of 102,000 metric tonnes of rice, maize, millet, and garri from government reserves and stores of rice millers to the Nigerian market.
Akpan who is also the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Large-Scale Farmers’ Association in Akwa Ibom stated this on Friday at the presentation of seminar papers on the theme: Upland Rice: Cultivating and Processing jointly sponsored by the association in collaboration with Kingdom Green Revolution Farms in Uyo.
He noted that one of the mandates of the association is to fight unemployment, create wealth and sustain food security in the state.
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According to him, government alone could not provide enough food to feed the people hence the need for everyone to be involved in adequate food production.
‘‘As a Commissioner, I was attracted to this association based on its achievements to ensure sustainable food production especially in the state. Before now, people were used to the production of rice from the coastal areas, but today the narrative has changed in that the people have the capacity to produce upland rice even during dry season.
‘‘Already, we have the materials and resources to produce the rice in order to make the state great. What we need is the support of government in this direction,’’ he emphasised.
The former Commissioner commended members of the association in their determination to ameliorate the worsening food crisis in the state.
Earlier, Dr. Asikpo Essien-Ibok, the state Chairman of Large-Scale Farmers’ Association in Akwa Ibom, had said the association has rich history in the production of upland rice for sale to other states.
Essien-Ibok recalled that the body came on board when Eno Akpan was a Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources and has done enough to redress the food crisis.
He explained that one of the core mandates of the association is to produce food for the state, assuring that the body would do much to abate hunger and starvation among the people.
The chairman announced that the seminar was organized to sharpen the knowledge and enlighten the members on how to cultivate and grow upland rice at affordable cost to guard against further importation of the staple food to the state.
The seminar witnessed such presentations as ‘‘The Use of Organic Farm inputs’’ by Rev. Father Francis Archibong; ‘‘Insight on Upland Rice production in Akwa Ibom State’’ by Pastor (Mrs) Martina Umanah who is also the association’s treasurer.
Other papers were ‘‘Managing Farm Business for profitability’’ by Elder Uwemdimo Anana; ‘‘The Role of Rice in Nigeria Agriculture’’ by Apostle (Dr.) Joseph Bassey and ‘‘Upland Rice Production’’ by Dr. Ofonmbuk Aderi.
Goodwill messages came from Professor Trenchard Ibia, former Deputy Vice Chancellor of University of Uyo; Dr. Uyobong Uko, Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture; Mr. Bassey Inwang; Dr. Edna Akpan, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Akwa Ibom State University, and Mrs Mildred Obot, retired Principal, Federal Government Colleges.
In his reaction, Mr. Nsidibe Ntibe, a seminar participant while speaking with Straightnews lauded the organizers for the rich contents of the seminar papers, but was sad that the resource persons present them in English Language instead of Akwa Ibom dialect for proper understanding and assimilation of the rice producers most of whom are illiterates.
In an interview with Straightnews, Mandu Udo-Inyang lamented that despite the efforts of rice farmers to double up production, such efforts are hampered by lack of rice processing machines.
Udo-Inyang who said after production, the rice farmers would transport such to Ini and Ibiono Ibom for processing, called on the state government to provide the farmers with the equipment to enable those in far local government areas to stop journeying to such places to build confidence of the farmers and the beneficiaries.
