Farming encompasses the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for food and other resources. It involves preparing land, planting...
Farming encompasses the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for food and other resources. It involves preparing land, planting seeds, and caring for crops and animals. Farming also includes investing in crops and processing livestock for food.
In the pre-colonial era, farming was the primary occupation of our people. We were predominantly farmers, producing every food we ate, and did not depend on buying food and livestock from our neighbours or other countries. During that time, Europeans bought produce like palm wine, palm kernels, palm oil, etc., from Biafraland. Sadly, after colonization, they took advantage of our fertile land and good climate for their gain. They boosted the agriculture sector for export to their country.
When Nigeria gained independence in 1960, every region was doing well in its agriculture. The western region exported cocoa, the northern region exported groundnuts, and the eastern region, part of the old Biafra land, exported Palm Oil and Palm kernels. There was food sufficiency in the entire country, and no region was dependent on its neighbors for food supplies.
During the Nigerian genocide in Biafraland in 1967, the Agriculture sector suffered negligence. The Nigerian government used food restrictions on the entire Biafra region as a weapon of war. This was against conventional international ethics of war. Millions of children were starved to death as kwashiorkor ravaged the whole land.
Today, as we demand independence as a sovereign state of Biafra, we must drum into the ears of every Biafran the need to cultivate. You don't need to have a large portion of land to plant. You can grow in bags behind your house. If we all go into farming, there will be Food sufficiency. You will save much money by not depending on our neighbours for all our stable foods.
Written by
Ify O
Edited by
Oby M
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