The price of Garri is rising daily and I am riding the wave.
Food scarcity and high prices is an impending danger we might need to face. This wave might continue for a while.
In 2019, those who planted cassava made losses because of very low prices per tonne of cassava. Many large scale farmers did not plant cassava and the COVID-19 lockdown also affected farming.
The insecurity in the country from herdsmen and kidnappers prevented people from accessing their farms, or their farms were destroyed by animals or burnt by these evil terrorists. Flood also wrecked havoc on several farming communities. Also, this year’s August break was unnecessarily harsh and long.
Garri buyers now wait for the garri as we are processing; they even help us filter so that they can have the chance to buy. Some stay late into the night before heading home.
Many farmers are rushing to ride the wave by uprooting their cassava stems instead of waiting for them to grow more. You can’t blame them; things are hard. This might lead to further scarcity because they will need to buy garri a few months down the road.
We must harness all spaces that are safe from herdsmen to grow food. You can grow yams and cassava in used sacks in your compounds, schools, and large church compounds.
I’ve said in a previous post that parts of our prayer camps should be used for agriculture; they are mostly fallow throughout the year.
My wife buys Ugu or fluted pumpkin of 300 Naira daily; I decided to plant Ugu. Today, we no longer buy Ugu.
Our young people in the Niger Delta must brace up for the new reality. Our land in the Niger Delta can grow most foodstuff we import from anywhere and everywhere.
Sow in the land.
God Bless You.
You are a Godsent to us. Remain blessed sir.