SIFE, AKADEP Aid Rural Agriculture

This month, Ikpe Annang community received the blessings of the University of Uyo's Students In Free Enterprise (UNIUYO SIFE) in collaboration with Akwa Ibom Agricultural Development Programme (AKADEP) courtesy of Akwamfon Sustainable Agriculture and Community Education Initiative (ASACEI). It was a well attended seminar with men, women and the youth, farming Cooperative Society and Youth Association from the village and 5 surrounding villages in attendance. The theme of the seminar was Agriculture as a Business. Experts on crop and animal production from AKADEP were the resource persons who spoke at the seminar, while SIFE Academic Advisor moderated. The news is that for us that was the first time government came to our village for such a programme. The seminar was very revealing and rewarding to both ASACEI farm and the community at last. Farmers were taught how to profit withal thru good farm practices like timeliness of operations, use of improved varieties of stocks, combination of organic and inorganic manures to get the best result, type of crops to plant in tandem with market demand to maximize profit, and advantages of organic manures (OM) over inorganic fertilizers (IOF). According to the speaker, while IOF releases nutrients to the crops at once, OM does it gradually and also improves the soil structure with its lasting effect on the soil. On animal husbandry, farmers were introduced to keeping of grass gutter which we describe as bush meat, and other cash yielding animals, and how best to rear and make them environmentally friendly. For us in ASACEI business it was open research as what we would spend much money for and travel long distances to get were brought to our door step. For example, Akwamfon Sustainable Community Association (ASCA) was advised to register with AKADEP who would link ASACEI farm to major markets. We were also informed that there is soil lime to control soil acidity and how we can procure it. Other useful advice include, how to order for improved varieties and high yielding stocks, as well as advice on dry season farming of fluted pumpkins and vegetable crops generally scarce and always very costly in dry season. The SIFE AKADEP team was able to contend with the many brainstorming and thought provoking questions they fielded from the farmers. However they had to take some questions home with a promise that they would be handled by experts in areas other than theirs.
In his welcome address, the ASACEI Project Manager requested that an Extension Agent be posted by AKADEP to reside in the village to serve the community and that government should not only procure IOF and sell to the farmers at low prices but should make effort to advise farmers against indiscriminate use of chemicals whose side effect can kill the soil rather. In its place he demanded government to procure poultry droppings and sell to farmers to cushion the effect of IOF on the soil. We were surprised at the Officer's reply that there was an Extension Agent already posted to serve our community. Suprised because we have not seen such person. We were to be told who he was so that he be made to serve us. Apart from helping farmers in their farms, the Agents are to collect problems from farmers to AKADEP and bring solutions from it to farmers. SIFE requested interested farmers to register the types of crops and animals stocks they needed for it to procure improved varieties for them. For SIFE, it was time for action and no more preaching, hence, on procurement of stocks, they would bring back AKADEP to demonstrate to farmers how to plant crops and keep livestock of farmers' choice the best way. Is there any success story or have participants learnt any lesson from the seminar? For answers to these questions and more, don’t miss subsequent blogs.