All Year Round Cultivation: Nigeria’s Rep adopts motion to introduce micro irritation

The National Assembly Complex, Abuja

WorldStage Newsonline-- The Federal Government of Nigeria has been advised to introduce micro irritation to farmers to enable an all year round cultivation of crops.

Nigeria’s House of Representatives in a motion titled: "Call for the introduction of Micro Irrigation (Drip Irrigation) for Farmers in Gombi/ Hong Federal Constituency in Adamawa State and other parts of Nigeria," sponsored by Hon Yusuf Baba Yakubu, revealed that many people in Gombi/Hong Federal Constituency and many other places were subsistence farmers who had limited funds relied basically on rainfall from their water supply.

The lawmaker said as a result they were unable to cultivate all year round as they could not afford the traditional irrigation methods which were expensive.

"The Micro Irrigation ( Drip Irrigation) is a low cost drop irrigation system tailored for the needs of poor farmers which can solve the irrigation problems of the farmers as it can be as cheap as N25,000 and can based on a farmland as small as 1,500 square meters, and a kit drip system costing N55,000.00 - N60,000 will cover a farm with 1,500 plants of pepper which can yield 180,000 fruits at 12 fruits per stand and has a net sale of N360,000," he said.

The lawmaker lamented that despite the availability of this low cost irrigation system, many farmers “do not have knowledge about it owing mainly to the failure of the relevant government agencies to create awareness about it, rather emphasis is placed on large dam irrigation systems.

"Owing to reduced rainfall, many framers have abandoned their small farms due to n availability of water to irrigate them but the introduction of micro irrigation system will revive the farms, boost production, thereby solving the double- digit prices of food products, and also prevent growth of weeds and reduce labour in farm works."

The lawmakers therefore adopted the motion when the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara called for a voice vote, and also urged the Agricultural and Commerce Banks to provide loans at single- digit interest rates to small scale farmers to enable them purchase the Drip Irrigation Kits.

Source: www.worldstagegroup.com