Stakeholders implore FG to galvanize organic agriculture, reject GMO

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The Federal Government has been advised to proactively encourage the practice of organic farming to checkmate agricultural produce rejection in Europe just as they disapprove the use of GMOs saying its impact on the soil may not be ascertained.

Also, a team that will be led by a woman politician, Dr. Sarah Jubril was constituted to facilitate a draft proposal for a bill seeking approval for standardization and regulation of organic agricultural practice in the country explaining that the national assembly’s support for the bill would enhance the quality of our agricultural produce with good health implication on man, animal and soil management.

All these are submissions made by the stakeholders at the recently concluded Organic Summit organized at Abuja with the theme “Organic Agriculture business for sustainable national development” as stakeholders unanimously appealed to the government for intensive promotion of agricultural practice that would add premium to our produce in term of market and safety food consumption through the use of tested non- synthetic herbicide, fertilizer and pesticide.

One the speakers on the occasion, the National President, Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), Prof. Victor Olowe while responding to questions from the pressmen said that the use of conventional  farming  practices compared to organic farming are at variance in result achievement in terms of market quality advantages and health addition to the body adding that the United nation( UN) sanction on some Nigeria agricultural produce is premised on the synthetic residue found in our grains being exported.

NOAN President pointed that the latent effect of organic agricultural farming to soil, human and animal is immeasurable in terms of premium when compared to conventional practice where synthetic fertilizers might initially bulldoze their ways into increasing yield but later start depleting the soil and thereby reducing production, although his association is not against the use inorganic fertilizer as it is matter of choice.

Prof. Olowe added that Nigeria as a signatory to decision of African Heads of state on the use of organic agriculture to safe ecosystem relying on functional cycles instead of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides cannot be ignored especially in her economic diversification of using the sector to generate wealth and employment for the youths and women folks adding that the use of GMOs  on our soil was totally unacceptable.

In his speech, the National Secretary, Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN) Hon. Dr.Ballo Nuhu Dogondaji said the promotion of the organic agricultural practice cannot be better than now when emphasis on the economy’s diversification is on the lip of every Nigerian saying his members are in support of organic farming towards checkmating United Nation (UN) rejection  and ensuring the lifting of the ban on our produce for the economic empowerment of farmers in Nigeria.

Said he: “ in the support to organic farming, our association being the apex umbrella for all commodities associations of over 50 agricultural producers is playing a lead role and that is why we are major partner as this summit is concerned. The UN ban on cowpea is our concern and that is why our members under the leadership of Hon. Shitu Mohammed are very involved in this summit and we shall continue to give our support”

The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh in a speech delivered by Mr. Isah Adamu, Organic Division, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) said that government is committed to promoting  friendly agricultural environment for all stakeholders and that is why organic farming is being incorporated into the farming system saying Nigeria should leverage on the African Heads of state decision on organic agriculture to improve her ecological system to enhance soil, animal and human health management.

Chief Ogbeh stressed the need to use organic agricultural practices to checkmate current ban on our produce in United Nation thereby calling all the stakeholders to join in the race of ensuring food security as it must be jointly addressed as nation.

The issue of GMOs was totally rejected according to the communiqué issued as argument was raised on the technology ability to managing soil from degradation, considering the ecosystem policy that did not agree with its approval stating the potential in the organic farming could generate jobs for the youths in all the value chains of agriculture

Other demands in the communiqué included injection of organic agricultural practice into school curriculum from primary to the university level should be encouraged by the government policy so as to entrench the culture of friendly ecosystem into our children from childhood and that a Ministry of Organic Agriculture should be established for effective policy control of inputs like fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide.

The summit however gave training to select journalists on the best reporting of organic agriculture for the development of the sub sector as the same would be conducted in the Eastern edition of the summit that is expected to focus on empowerment of the youths using organic farming.