By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

In his effort to ensure increase in food production, the member representing Anambra East and West Federal Constituency, Chief Chinedu Obidigwe, has dished out palliatives to farmers affected by flood in the riverine areas of Anambra State.

The lawmaker who lamented the effect of flood on the people and farmlands said the palliative will help to cushion the effect of the flood in the area.

He said: “The flood had indeed affected our people and our farm lands and this means that food production has been affected so we have to take proactive actions to prevent that from happening.

“This program would be a continuous process and I have made spirited efforts at getting the federal government to do more for our people.

“When the flood recedes, our people would commence agricultural activities and we are making provisions for improved seedlings and other crops for cultivation.”

Obidigwe, who teamed up with the Federal Ministry of Environment to provide the farmers with a 4-day sensitization programme, explained that the purpose of the programme was to educate the rural farmers on ways of improving productivity through high breed seedlings.

He called on the Federal Government and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to expedite action in providing their own seedlings on time before next year’s planting season.

About 200 farmers affected by the flood disaster in Anambra East and West received the over N10 million palliative to assist them in next year’s farming season.

A breakdown of the sum shows that each of the two hundred farmers got N20,000 while improved seedlings of high breed will also be distributed to them.

The farmers, who were presented with certificate of participation during the four-day sensitization of rural communities on the adoption of safe biotechnology in state, were trained by the National Biosafety Management Agency.

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