EDITORIAL: The Dawn of Cassava Pyramid in Benue State
We almost lost it as a state and as a nation in the agricultural sector. With the charge by successive Nigerian leaders in government and policy fields, agriculture is gradually coming back. Benue State, the revered food basket of the nation earned that status, courtesy of smallholder farmers that constitute the larger basket. Corruption stole the sub-consciousness, consciousness and the unconsciousness of the youths who hitherto to the present waited, with good certificates for opportunities in white -collar organisations.
The new factual trend in Benue State is that most people, especially the youthful population are gradually returning to the farms. It is amazing how these youths, irrespective of age, education and gender are returning back to the farms. The crop most engaged by these youths is cassava which has come in different species. To crown this, the youths are leveraging on the social media to call in more of their contemporaries into the farming fields. This clarion call is yielding positive results with more and more land spaces cultivated.
In spite of the security challenges in the state, the farms are getting busier in areas where it is safe to cultivate the land. The scale of the farming, experts say is provoked by the establishment of Biotech companies in some states of Nigeria, including Benue. This has made the crop highly sort for, competitively. Though some other experts in the agricultural chain say hunger have ignited the rise in farming activities in the state.
Either way, economically, most youths now have something for the market and for consumption. I met a farmer who is proudly sponsoring the daughter in a private University in Abuja, and he told me his cassava farm can do much more. Politically, these youths are gradually carving a niche for themselves, unlike the idea of hanging around politicians, even in post-election seasons. Rather than continue to be part of the problems of the country, they have decided to become solution, agreeing with the inaugural address of John F. Kennedy – “ask not what your country can do for, ask what you can do for your country.” This in itself is patriotism and nationalism. Lastly, the youths are beginning to establish a social stratum that is middleclass, ascending up the ladder of economic stability. Most youths, males and females, are now farmers, and are proud to be so designated. In the past, many of these youths approached agribusiness as some agrarian activity, meant for the rural dwellers. All of these, if sustained will bring a new order that will stablise the troubling socio-economic and political atmosphere in the country.
Specifically, I noticed some level of brotherliness in sharing of cassava stems, distribution of farm inputs and financial push to youths who are coming into cassava farming, by fellow youths who have farms and the financial muscle to do so. It is interesting to see how without training and money exchange, many are going into the agribusiness, courtesy of social media free education by fellow youths, who are already established in the line. The consensus is that cassava cultivation is the new deal.
These are some of the positive narratives coming out of the state in recent times that require commendations and recommendations. Over the years, youths have been portrayed in the bad light, because of rising criminality like substance abuse, fraud activities (yahoo-yahoo), terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and thuggery. In spite of all these negativities, many other youths are trying, so hard to feed the nation. And, these ones should be giving a path on the back.
