Farmers in Uru village, Mbaukwu in Awka South Local Government Area, have cried out for help over the destruction of their crops by cows.
Correspondent, Ngozi Obileri visits the farmland and reports that the Ujala farmland, Uru village Mbaukwu is a vast farmland where people of the community especially women, cultivate crops both for their family use and commercial purposes.
Recently, going about their normal business in the farm has become worrisome for the farmers because of the fear of what they will see in the hands of the herders.
ABS crew who visited the farm could not help being emotional after seeing an old woman who is between eighty to ninety years old, whose crops were destroyed , as she expressed frustration and total loss of hope.
The crops destroyed were mainly cassava and maize.
Expressing their disappointment over the situation, some of the women including Mrs Ngozi Egbocha and Mrs Nkiru Ozue appealed to government to help them by ensuring that the cows and their herders leave their community.
In their reactions, others whose farmlands were affected including Mr Chukwudi Okeke, Jossy Egbeocha and Patience Ozue, lamented that they did not harvest some portion of their cassava farms, as they alleged that the farms were set on fire by the herders as soon as the cows ate up the leaves on the cassava stem.
They said that they did not go back to farm this season, as according to them it has become an effort in futility since they can no longer harvest what they laboured for.
Reacting to the development, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Indigenous Medicine and Herbal Practice, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, who empathized with the farmers, advised them not to take laws into their hands, as he assured that State Government is on top of the situation.
Dr Ibezim who hails from the community said that the issue which is before the community’s town union, has been brought to the notice of Governor Willie Obiano who has directed the committee overseeing such matters to as a matter of urgency, visit the community and settle the issue by paying compensation to those affected.
Recall that the state government through the committee devised a workable means of compensating those whose crops were destroyed on the side of the farmers, and compensating the herders if their cow was killed.
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