The Cross River State government has commenced distribution of improved variety of seedlings and herbicides to 135 schools across the three senatorial zones in the state.
The initiative was targeted at tackling guaranteeing food security and intensify the fight against hunger and starvation in the state.
Commissioner for Education in the state, Senator Stephen Odey, while distributing the agricultural items to the schools, said the seedlings will help the schools to revive practical agriculture practices that have become dead in public schools.
Improved variety seedlings distributed include maize, pumpkin, cassava, melon, among others.
Odey stressed that a lot can be archived with cultivation of the improved seedlings.
Representing the Commissioner, the chairman, Committee of Young Farmers Club in the State Ministry of Education, Comrade Asuquo Amaku, said with the farm inputs, school authorities can re-introduce practical agriculture towards contributing their quota to boost food production.
“What we are doing here is a follow-up to what happened during last year farming season.
“We discovered that there were rotten crops and so much grass in their farms, so we decided to support the schools with herbicides and improved variety seedlings,” he said.
He said distributing the seedlings is another way to complement effort of the state governor in his determination to intensify the fight against starvation.
“This is why we are giving the seedings to agric teachers and school principals so that they can use the inputs to teach students on how to practicalise agriculture for increased food production,” he said.
The Principal of NYSC Secondary School who doubles as State chairman of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Comrade Etim Nsa, said the seedlings will help to revive practical agriculture as a subject.
“What we are trying to achieve is food security for all. We charged agric teachers, principal of schools to plant the seedlings on time so that they generate seedlings for next year.
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