Food is one of the basic necessities of life without which sustenance of existence may not be possible. One of the struggles of everyday living in this country is the challenge of feeding oneself and family. It is difficult to understand why man should be having difficulties to fed when nature has endowed us with all kinds of food.
In the developed society food is taken for granted. It remains one of the cheapest things that anyone can afford. While we are struggling to feed the developed societies have left this stage going to the moon and transforming their environment hugely.
A hungry person is vulnerable. He is exposed to crimes if he lacks the discipline to resist some of the tempting but dangerous offers that may be dangled before him. In fact, no matter how disciplined one may be, it takes special courage to say no to some exposures. This is the reason our young women are exposed to prostitution and the boys take to armed robbery and other crimes.
It is also hunger and by extension greed that lures our public officers to loot the treasury. They are motivated by the fear of hunger and the need to maintain the status quo after public office. The endemic corrupt nature of our society results from hunger and the need to keep heads above water.
There is no home you visit today that majority of what they consume are not found in sachets, tins, packets, cartons and imported etc. The implication is that we are patronizing much of denatured food and these we are told exposes us to the increasing cancer menace. That aside, we spend scarce foreign exchange to patronize other nation’s foods at the expense of our own.
It is sad to comment that a generation of the current population hardly knows anything about practical agriculture. Many young parents never touched a hoe all their lives. So what are they going to bequeath to their children.
Farming remains part of our culture as it is in many other countries that export their products to us, and if we are so distanced from it, that speaks volume of how we are consciously losing our identity. We can feed ourselves if only we can sincerely get committed to it. We can succeed by doing what other successful countries have done. It is no rocket science in my own thinking
Both present and past governments have done so much to encourage food production. It is still a wonder that we are still importing food including the ones that we can comfortably grow here. It means that we are not sufficiently patronizing government’s agricultural programs especially here in the South East.
Recently, when the north effected food blockade policy against the South at the height of the herdsmen clashes it sent shock waves to the South that rely on the north for more than 90% of their food supplies.
Now that a farming season has presented another opportunity how ready are we to take advantage of it to grow our food needs even if at subsistence level? In the time past, our parents grew their own foods and we had barns to store excess. Many things have changed all that as many of us see agriculture as a dirty occupation fit for the lazy people.
We need to change this mind set and move on to make a difference. It is never too late for a new beginning and the time to begin is now.
