Cross River agric commissioner proffers ways to tackle food insecurity in Cross River

Hon. Johnson .A. Ebokpo, the Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development has suggested ways to tackle food insecurity blending old and new ideas, innovations and technology needed to build resilience and accelerate food production in a sustainable way as a path to mitigating food shortages in the country.

Ebokpo made the recommendation in a keynote address he presented on the opening ceremony of First Faculty of Agriculture International conference, FAIC-UNICAL themed, “Food Security Through Innovation, Bridging Technology with Traditional Farming” on Thursday, December 5,th 2024 at the ASUU Secretariat, University of Calabar.

He disclosed that Cross River State government led by His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Otu as a matter of urgency has set-up policy framework that guide development of the agric-business system through an initiative “Project Grow” to support private sector led development of agric-busines sector of the economy in the State to ensure Cross Riverians have access to quality and nutritious food.

In the official opening of the conference, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Banku Obi represented by Prof. Peter .C. Okafor, DVC Research, linkage and collaborations disclosed that something is missing in the agric-business citing failure to conect young people in the villages and offering requisite training for them in schools of agriculture in towns and cities to empower them with requisite skills on modern farming techniques which they would in turn train farmers in their communities.

The Dean Faculty of Agriculture, University of Calabar and host of the event, Prof. Susan Ohen said the theme for this inaugural conference, “Food Security Through Innovation; Bridging Technology with Traditional Farming” resonates profoundly with the challenges and opportunities of our time as the global population continues to grow and changing climatic conditions evolve, the urgency to innovate while respecting the wisdom of traditional agricultural practices cannot be overemphasized. The conference in her reckoning presents a platform to address these challenges head-on, leveraging diverse expertise and collaborative synergy to chart a more secure and sustainable agricultural future for the country.

Lead Paper Presenter, Dr. Aliyu Samalia, Head, Value Chain Development, Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) likened the role government and farmer organizations should play to ‘The South-East Asia Case Study model’ which he said is the pathway to change. He identified small-holder farmers remaining small perpetually as factor that affect agriculture in Nigeria and suggested that research institutes must live-up to their names and provide problem solving solutions to be mass-produced for commercialization. Financing agriculture according to him, should go beyond pronouncements to using friendly and available financing of agric-business to fight food insecurity.

Chairman, Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Prof. Ayuk A. Ausaji in his closing remark and Vote of Thanks after Awards have been presented to Hon. Johnson A. Ebekpo, Dr. Aliyu Samalia and some students, thanked participants for gracing the occasion.

While fielding questions from newsmen at the end of the programme, Mr. Njoku-Onu and Kingsley Abba, both participants from National Biotechnology, Odi, Bayelsa State rated the conference apt and demanded proper implementation of papers to improve food security through innovation, bridging technology with traditional farming to fight hunger and food insecurity.

The conference moderated by Dr. Friday Ogar Idiku dissolved into a technical session featuring multiple subthemes and groups with members of the academia brain storming on the way forward to achieve seamless food security through innovation as captured in the theme of the conference.

By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)