Improving local agriculture for increased food production in Akwa Ibom State should be our priority
History teaches us that agriculture is the basis of any industrial revolution.
Here in Akwa Ibom State, it is estimated that over eighty five percent of the total cultivated land in the State is in the hands of small scale farmers who account for up to ninety percent of total agriculture output.
This is what is known as peasant agriculture.
It must be borne in mind also that the average farming household in the State cultivates only a half hectare of land, planting maize, cassava and compound crops like plantain, cocoyam and vegetable each year.
At harvest, the peasant farmer provides for only his or her immediate family.
Under the present food situation, the farmers need to put in more efforts to increase production instead of abandoning farming to other vocation.
On the other hand, a successful agricultural modernization programme by government will bring liberation from poverty and backwardness.
Fortunately, the government has laid groundwork for increased agricultural production through the construction of roads across rural communities to ease the evacuation of farm products.
But, our agriculture faces other problems. Our farmers tend to sell their products at raw state, thereby giving room for exploitation by an array of middlemen.
Effortlessly, they are being robbed of the avenue of accumulating capital to expand and improve agricultural production, since raw produce have to be processed to commercial products in order to maximize profit.
Agriculture and industries therefore have a close and inseparable relationship.
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The production of various food and industries crops should therefore be promoted in those ecological areas of the State where economic benefits that accrue from such specialization are more.
The Ministry of Agriculture, especially the extension agents in different cells in the State, should identify those crops suitable for large scale cultivation.
These include; cereal, especially maize which can be processed as feeds for poultry among other uses.
Others are root and tubers especially cassava which can be processed into starch, oil seeds and nuts which can be further processed into vegetable oil, and feed concentrates and such vegetable and fruits which can be processed for caning.
Similarly, ginger can also be processed into drinks, beverages with fiber jutes which is an important raw material for the textile and related industries.
The formation of farmers’ cooperatives is a good approach to ensuring food sufficiency while also enhancing the production of raw materials for industries and improvement in the processing through the introduction and adoption of improved technology.
