The Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Enugu State chapter, Mr. Romanus Ezeh, has called on the State Government to provide irrigation projects in the state.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu State on Wednesday, Ezeh said that lack of irrigation projects had restricted farmers in the state to seasonal farming.
”We have only one at Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area in Adani Omu and it is not working to capacity.
”Even the Federal Government has abandoned it not minding that Adani Omu is a rice producing area that can feed the whole South-East states.
”it was not developed to full capacity where farmers can farm into commercial use.
”For you to be a good farmer, you have to farm regularly all year round and not only seasonal farming,” he said.
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Ezeh said with irrigation the farmers would have access to water their farms at least three to four times a year because they will have access to supply their farm land with water in and out of season.
He noted that such policies would bring food security, availability of produce and increase the state Gross Domestic Product (GDP) because of outputs.
”In the absence of it, we farmers in the state and South-East as a whole cannot boast of being good farmers.
”In the Northern part of the country, there are regular produce of tomatoes, carrots, onions and other crops due to access to irrigation projects,” Ezeh said.
He appealed to the state and Federal Government to help farmers in the South-East with irrigation project sites to guarantee commercial farming and food security. (NAN)
