Agriculture
Mr Oyekunle Olusegun, the National Coordinator of Organic Farming Food for African, an Abuja-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has canvassed for organic farming to facilitate job creation in the country.
He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Osogbo.
NAN gathered that organic farming is a method of crop and livestock production that involves much more than choosing not to use pesticides, fertilisers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and growth hormones.
Olusegun said the concept of organic farming would not only create massive jobs amongst the youths but also promote healthy living through ideal ecosystem that is devoid of chemical residues to enhance longevity.
The coordinator said that organic farming would also enhance food security.
He however, said that the group in collaboration with Green Globe Biotechnologies, India, had commenced an aggressive advocacy in Nigeria towards organic farming system.
He said the project was of multiple purpose and array of inherent values, with attendant outcome of revolutionising Nigeria to ensure food security.
“Organic farming food for Africa initiatives comprises experts from Nigeria, India and Philippines, with the sole aim of promoting production of healthy foods, job creation and ideal life style, through organic farming and input distributions chain.
“The inorganic farming, with the use of synthetic fertilisers, antibiotics, growth hormones and other harmful chemicals are bedrock of free radical derivatives that cause cancers and various terminal diseases in human body.
“It should be noted that salt composition in different synthetic fertilisers reduces activity of microbial organisms due to lethal effect.
“For example, 100kg of urea fertiliser is made of 46kg of urea and 54kg of salt, while 100kg of superphosphate is made of 16kg of superphosphate and 84kg of mineral salt.
“All these constitutes to toxic medium that prevent microbial organism to thrive for soil improvement and reduce farmers’ income’’.
According to him, the chemistry of human body is organic composition in nature and daily income consumption of inorganic made foods will result to accumulation of destructive residues that trigger free radicals mechanism, which cause oxidation and damage of living cells.
Olusegun said the cardinal objectives of the group was to ensure that all agricultural products were in compliance with World Health Organisation, free from chemical residues and contaminants that emanated from antibiotics, growth hormones and synthetic fertilisers.
He said the group also provides foods that are free from contagious contaminants, residues and also to
enhance farmers’ income through soil improvement with the use of organic fertilisers, among others.
Olusegun said that the flag-off ceremony for the organic farming initiative by the group would come up on Dec. 12, in Abuja. (NAN)
– Dec. 7, 2020 @ 12:24 GMT |
Tags: NGO advocates organic farming for job creation in Nigeria
