Wife of the Governor of Abia State, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu has called on all Abians, especially women 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 CoViD19 Pandemic.
Speaking about the ongoing statewide campaign mobilizing women to return to agriculture as source of food sufficiency and financial stability, Mrs. Ikpeazu said 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 Corona Virus Pandemic.
Mrs. Ikpeazu advised that Abians irrespective of their occupation as businessmen, civil servants, and artisans should target to cultivate every piece of arable land in the state, adding that the time to act is now in order to take advantage of the timely rains and the 2020 farming season.
The ongoing campaign has a media component: several radio jingles are running on all major radio stations across the state.
In addition, a series of 30minute 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 Ajaja” also teaches modern, 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 CoViD19 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 to help 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 Chief Isreal Amanze Programme Manager of Abia ADP, who explains the issues in easy to understand vernacular language.
The programme comes up on Friday 8th May 2020 by 12.30 on Flo FM Radio Umuahia, on 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.