Massive cultivation of cassava this farming season has been advocated as solution to continuous hike in prices of garri in the market recently.
This is based on the reactions of people at Eke-Awka market when the ABS monitored present cost of the commodity in the market.
Correspondent Emmanuel Okonkwo who led the monitoring exercise reports that Cassava, one of the major crops consumed in various forms by many, is used in producing a lot of edible products including Garri, Fufu also known as Akpu, African Salad known as Abacha, among others.
During the monitoring exercise, it was observed that a painter of yellow garri which was sold between five hundred and six hundred naira before the emergence of Covid-19, is now between nine hundred and one thousand naira, while a painter of white one which was sold before now for four hundred and five hundred naira, is now eight hundred naira.
Speaking on the development, the Permanent Secretary of Anambra state Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization, Processing and Export, Lady Stephenie Kelly-Uzor while enumerating various support already given to famers in Anambra state by the present government, including distribution of seedlings, fertilizers, among others, said that farmers in the state will not have any excuse for not cultivating both for their consumption and sale this year.
Lady Stephanie encouraged farmers to farm extensively this year in order to achieve food security in post Covid-19 period, reminding them that tractors are available for hiring at the ministry.
Some garri dealers at Eke-Awka market, including Mrs Joy Agummadu and Mrs Ogechukwu Umeadi blamed the hike in prices of the commodity on Fulani herdsmen who according to them destroyed a lot of farm land last farming season, and called on the government to employ stricter measures that would checkmate the activities of the herdsmen, to protect farmers and their farm lands this year and ensure food sufficiency.
On his part, a consumer that spoke to the ABS during the exercise, Mr Damian Mmerekam who commended Governor Obiano for his support so far to farmers in the state, attributed the hike in prizes of the commodity to the outbreak of Coranavirus pandemic, and greed of some dealers of the commodity who sees everything as an opportunity to make more money.
He however suggested that farmers should intensify efforts towards cassava cultivation this farming season to prevent a repeat of such an experience in the coming years.
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