C'River Farmers To Enjoy Bumper harvest, says ADP

The Cross River Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) says farmers will enjoy bumper harvest in the State this season.

The Cross River North coordinator of the programme, Mr. mark Ewa, who stated this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ogoja, attributed the expectant bumper harvest to the provision of inputs and implements to farmers by the federal and state governments.

He noted that this season's experience have been quite different from others where the farmers had to rely solely on their own ingenuity to provide for themselves.

"It has been quite an experience to farmers this season in terms of farm input. "We are particularly appreciative of the fact that federal government remembered us by providing fertilisers to farmers.

"In Cross River North, I ws in charge of the distributiont and i ensured equitable sharing of the six trucks of MPK fertiliser that came to the Zone to the five council areas.

"While we have been told to expect the Urea type, we are also grateful to Gov. Bassey Otu who had also tried to assists farmers in his own way.

"With this assistance, and sufficient rainfall, farmers, particularly those in Northern Cross River, are expectant of bumper harvest.

"We expect crops like rice, soya beans, cowpea, Cassava and yam to do well thos season," he stated.

While calling on the state government for more assistance in the area of land preparation, extention agents and irrigation farming, 

Ewa said Otu will revolutionised rice production in the State with his programme.

The ADP coordinator said that the weather condition of Cross River North is one that demands the use of irrigation to provide sufficient water for crops to do well.

He further noted that the dearth of extension agents have not made it possible for farmers to acquire new knowledge or technique on farming.

According to him, "presently, there are less than 10 extension agents available to farmers in Cross River North which is caused majorly due to retirement of workers without replacement.

"This situation has resulted to haven a ratio of one extension agent to 5000 farmers, instead of one agent to 80 farmers.

"This inadequacy have not made it possible for farmers to get the requisite training that will lead to profitable harvest for them."