Chinedu Igbokwuwe decries the fall of farming activities in Umuaka.
2 min read
Mr Chinedu Igbokwuwe, a graduate of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development has predicted that if something serious was not done urgently in Umuaka about agriculture and agribusiness, economic hardship and deep food scarcity will hit the community in the nearest future. In an academic research work which Igbokwuwe had embarked upon for over two years, Igbokwuwe seriously warned that the unending construction of houses in Umuaka on every “mgbala” (garden)to farmlands has dangerously affected agriculture and food productions and supplies in the community.
In the paper which a copy of it was made available to Umuaka Times, Mr Igbokwuwe evidently proved that farming “is fast depreciating in Umuaka due to lack of landscape for production and cultivation of crops and animal rearing, access of farmers to credit facilities to increase their scale of productions/processing etc, in which developmental infrastructures such as building of houses, stores, plazas (to mention but a few) have occupied the existing socio-economy of Umuaka.”
The effect is this development according to Igbokwuwe will certainly affect the standard of living and create other social and medical challenges in the community in particular and in the LGA in general. He went further to conclude thus. “In this regard, business in agriculture (agribusiness) becomes highly fragile (both inputs and outputs) in sustaining good standard of living in Umuaka. Therefore, there is need to be properly guided on the knowledge of the issues and challenges of agribusiness in Umuaka.”
Umuaka Times findings conducted from 2019 to early 2020 show that new houses are really struggling to find spaces in all parts of Umuaka. A visitor who recently visited the town described Umuaka as a land of architectural masterpiece and excellence. He also raised fears the exact fears Mr Igbokwuwe has raised in his paper.
