Abians, especially women, have been called upon to embark on massive planting of crops this farming season as a proactive step to reducing the impact of the anticipated economic crunch from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The Wife of the Governor of Abia State Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu made the call while speaking about the ongoing statewide campaign mobilizing women to return to agriculture as source of food sufficiency and financial stability.
According to Mrs. Ikpeazu, it is imperative for all Abians to commit to agriculture in one form or another as it is the surest way for most families to ease the economic downturn which experts have predicted may follow the Coronavirus Pandemic.
The wife of the Governor advised Abians irrespective of their occupation as businessmen, civil servants, and artisans
to take advantage of the timely rains and the 2020 farming season to cultivate every piece of arable land in the State.
The ongoing campaign has a media component as several radio jingles are running on all major radio stations across the state.
In addition, a series of 30 minutes programmes that educate Abians on how to set up and nurture kitchen gardens as well as high-yielding small-sized farms, are running on major radio stations in the State.
The radio programme titled “Aka Ajaaja” also teaches modern and efficient practices for optimizing a small piece of farmland, how to access farm inputs, undertake do-it-yourself food processing and storage as well as add value to various agriculture produce in a Covid-19 restricted environment.
The programme also demonstrates how residents in a city and tenants in a block of flats or high rise building can plant valuable crops that will provide food for the family.
The radio series further aims at helping both small and large scale farmer find alternative markets for their produce using modern technology.
Supported by the wife of the Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, the programme features the Programme Manager of Abia ADP, Chief Isreal Amanze, who explains the issues in easy to understand vernacular language.
The programme comes up on Friday 8th May 2020 at 12:30 on Flo FM Radio Umuahia, Magic FM Radio Aba, by 1.00pm and Real FM Radio Aba by 6pm, while BCA will broadcast it on Saturday 9th May by 1.30pm.