Monday, 8 September 2014

Growing crops and veges in wetlands

Places located in the Niger delta areas are characterized by high water table, protracted rainfall, moist soils and water logging. Notwithstanding, it is imperative that strategies to face these challenges be put in place to encourage crop production instead of the massive importation of vegetables and other crops into the city from neighboring states.
Bayelsa being a coastal city, is surrounded by water and most lands polluted by oil activities. This polluting activities also affect the water bodies thereby hampering fishing activities.

Dr. Blessing Okogbue is working towards an agricultural sensitization lecture to educate the people and expose some level of truth in the possibility of full agricultural activities in the riverine state not minding the wetness of the terrain.

A lot of youths are jobless, idle and also complain that jobs are not available. If the little available lands can be cultivated, lots of food can be produced by the state and a lot of willing young people can be engaged productively.

Please add your comments on crops that can thrive in a typical Bayelsan soil. Thank you

1 comment:

  1. Banana and plantains do well. Cassava, yams are tuber crops that have been cultivated annually in Bayelsa for several generations. Also, groundnut, pepper, sugarcane, garden eggs thrive well in Bayelsa. Tree crops like cocoa, oil and coconut palms, breadfruit, irvingia (okpukpa/egbene/ogbono). Ogbono seeds from Bayelsa are adjudged by consumers as the best variety of Irvingia in Nigeria. It is usually advertised by wheel barrow pushing marketers as "ogbono-ijaw" in many local markets across Nigeria.