REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE: ANAMBRA STATE TO ESTABLISH DEMONSTRATION FARMS

 

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As part of its efforts to encourage farmers to migrate to regenerative agriculture, the Anambra State Government, South-East Nigeria, is to establish demonstration farms across its 21 Local Government Areas.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Foster Ihejiofor, hinted this while speaking during a training session for key officers of the Ministry at its Conference Hall.

While highlighting the benefits accruing to the State from the agricultural policy, he added that the farming project would be stepped down to all the 179 communities in the State.

Presenting a paper on “Techniques in Compost and Compost-Making”, a Biological Conservative, Prof. Cordelia Ebenebe, said time had come for a shift from chemical agriculture to regenerative agriculture.

“There is a difference between regenerative agriculture and commonly mentioned organic.

“It is about biological processes that ensure that plants are resistant to diseases so we don’t need pesticides,” said Prof. Ebenebe.

She explained that excessive use of chemical fertilizers had led to several issues, including serious soil degradation, nitrogen leaching, soil compaction, reduction in soil organic matter and loss of carbon.

To achieve the desired effect, she said an estimated production target of 40 tons of compost heaps every month would be needed in each of the six agricultural zones to drive the policy.

“The major thing government wants to achieve is kind of regaining the health of the people.

“We begin to realize that our food is either the medicine or health to us.

“So that we get food that is devoid of chemicals that will expose us to health risk.

“…So that Anambra people will eat good food, make good processes that will give us health instead of poison,” Prof. Ebenebe said.