THE FCT Administration Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS) on Tuesday began aggressive enlightenment campaign against the invasive insect pest to farmers to boost food security in the territory.
The Mandate Secretary for the secretariat, Malam Abubakar Ibrahim, while declaring the sensitisation programme open in Kwali Area Council, said it was part of the proactive measures to tackle the menace of Fall Army Worm (FAW).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 250 farmers drawn from across the six area councils of the territory were exposed to talks on practical identification, management and control of FAW in FCT.
Ibrahim said the engagement would help increase awareness that would assist the farmers to do all that were needed to improve their productivity in the agric sector.
Represented by Ishaq Sadeeq, Director of Administration and Finance (DAF), the Secretary reiterated that the secretariat would do everything within its means to make sure that it supported the programme.
He noted that the FAW menace had always been a very big problem and looking at the percentage of the ratio, if tackled effectively, about 30 per cent would go.
According to him, the FCT Administration through the ARDS will support farmers by making sure that they are actually sensitised and have unhindered access to all the inputs needed to help tackle this problem.
“So if nothing is done, 10 per cent of farmlands or whatever they produce, will go completely off, that’s why we are really giving them all the support and sensitisation needed.
“And what we are doing is engaging representatives of farmers across the six area councils.
“It is a continuous sensitisation campaign because the representatives of the six area councils will go back to their domains and do the step down,” the ARDS boss reiterated.”
Earlier, Mrs Francisca Ihekadu, the Coordinator, Ad-hoc Committee on Fall Army Worm (FAW) and Director, Agric Services, noted that since 2016, the FAW had brought tension and crisis to farmers in the FCT.
Ihekadu said FAW portends danger to food security, which necessitated a global action for its management and control.
She disclosed that the FCTA, through its Ad-hoc Steering Committee on FAW was intervening to ensure that FCT enjoyed food security by preparing farmers towards controlling and managing FAW in 2022 farming season.
According her, FAW thrives well when there is a dry spell during the rainy season.
“And NIMET has predicted 15 days dry spell over FCT between the month of May and June, which is not good for maize production in the territory due to FAW infestation.”
She urged farmers to plant when rain would be established in the month of July, and encouraged them to put into practice the knowledge from carefully selected resource persons.
According to her, this will enable them to be part of the success story of food security programme in the FCT.
The National Coordinator Project for FAW, Dr Adeleke Adetunji said that the workshop was in line with the advocacy for constant sensitisation of farmers.
He added that the programme was very timely and apt towards ensuring that the prevalence of FAW was effectively managed and controlled.
He commended the FCTA for reawakening the campaign, which he described as the right step in the right direction as it would help mitigate the impact of the pest on farmers. (NAN)
