By Nna Anulumadu
Sequel to the current hardship and hunger rocking Nigerian masses, a Catholic priest of Ekwulobia Diocese Rev Fr Philip Uchenna Okoye last Sunday urged Nigerians to return to their farm land in order to put food.on the table.
Fr Philip Okoye an award winning farmer who has continued to produce biggest size of yams every in Anambra and beyond expressed worries that the current hunger in the land was occasioned by carefree attitude Nigerians are showing to farming, adding that most Nigerians have relegated farming to the background, thereby depending solely on what the buy from the market.
He recalled that Igbos like other tribes used to produce sufficient food materials for subsistence and commercial purposes and wondered why such culture of farming has gone into extinction.
According to him, hunger in Nigeria is man made. “It is our own fault that we depend on food importation in Nigeria and that explains the level of laziness inherent among Nigerians.
Apart from farming , our country is so well blessed with mineral resources that are in abundance. The masses are suffering today not because of deprivation from God but the height of misappropriation in governance. It is worrisome to note that we have a large land mass yet still unable to produce sufficient food for the nation.”
Fr Okoye further stated that some of the countries in the world doesn’t have such resources and good weather that characterized Nigerian nation, yet they produce enough food for their citizens and also export to other countries. ” Even countries in Europe and America with unfavorable weather like winter and monumental natural disasters still produce surplus food for survival let alone Nigeria that is blessed with good weather such as raining and dry season cannot produce enough food for consumption.
To be sincere , Nigeria weather can provide one the opportunity to grow crops throughout the year. In dry season , irrigation can be used to grow any kind of crop comfortably and have a bountiful harvest at the end of the day, while raining season also provide good weather for farming.”
Fr Okoye on this note advised the Federal government to provide the famers in the country the support and facilities that will encourage them to engage in farming although the year for sufficient food production.
The renowned farmer who recently innovated new methods of yam cultivation that can help fellow farmers to cultivate yams at least three times in a year, urged every Nigeria to return to their farms not withstanding the job and business one is engaged on, for great food out put. According to him , that you are a business tycoon or a working class type doesn’t prevent one from engaging in subsistence farming. In a year, try and produce one or two food materials from your farm, ” he advised.
