Food security: NGO advocates organic agricultural practice in Ebonyi

The Association of Micro-Credit Institutions of Nigeria,(AMCIN) has stressed the need to adopt organic agricultural practice to enhance food security in Ebonyi state. The South East chairman of the Association who doubles as national president AMCIN women in agriculture SheGrowsHerFood, princess Comfort Ifesinachi Nweke made the disclosure in her office while interacting with newsmen in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital. Princess Nweke who enumerated benefits of organic agricultural said that the produce last longer with rich health benefits in human system than chemical raise crops.

" We have Apex 10 which is organic manure, a crop you use it for instance, tomatoes raised with Apex-10 will last more than two months before it decay, you can apply it in tomato,rice, maize or other crops and we advice every farmers to go into organic farming because the produce is healthier than chemical raise produce. "USAID in partnership with AMCIN gave us the mandate to capture 25,000 farmers in Ebonyi state just like other selected states partnering them. "Currently, we have captured over 3,000 indigent farmers during our visitation at Ogbala and the sensitization is ongoing, however, our data only target real farmers as value chain given to Ebonyi is rice and maize. "AMCIN is out to raise farmers who will have alot for themselves and enough to import and have tour all parts of the state and was marveled to see that Izzi has the highest rice farmers in Ebonyi state". she said

She commended governor Francis Nwifuru's led government in their support to agriculture advising that empowering rural women would bring end to food shortage and insecurity. "I encourage Ebonyi state government to continue supporting genuine farmers and whatever they wish to invest in AMCIN that they should do it without doubt because we have their data; if we empower these rural women in farming business,they have the strength to bring down price of garri to 500 naira within one farming season.

"If government can partner fully with AMCIN and introduce small holders farmers like seen in the North. It is a programme design to give grant of between 50,000 to rural farmers especially widows and some youth while we monitor it to be rotational and by extension, will recover it and give to another groups. "The only challenge to farmers in Ebonyi is finance else, farmers here will do well when monitor by AMCIN because we have given loan at difference times with marvelous results in all Local Government Areas especially the over five hundred persons trained by Songhai who we give money through their cooperatives and recovering them wasn't difficult because they have coordinators who report to us from the well established procedures that strengthen the system.