As part of its community service, the Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI), Ebonyi State recently organized a one-day sensitization workshop for members of its host community geared towards equipping farmers with new techniques for ensuring high productivity and maximum output in their farming activities.
Organized under the auspices of Faculty of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ecosystem Based Adaptation Farming, an arm of United Nation’s Environmental Protection Agency and Ebonyi State Government, the programme afforded local farmers the opportunity to learn new farming tips meant to increase their yields.


Declaring the event open, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba who was represented by the Director of Academic Planning, Professor Dr. Johnny Ogunji called on the participating farmers to imbibe integrated farming, by rearing animals and breeding chickens that would in turn churn out saleable platform for mass production of maggots which would enhance production of fishes and aquaculture.


He also stressed the importance of producing earthworms in large quantities to help activate soil nutrients, pledging the university’s commitment towards advancing their farming activities if called upon.
Earlier in his welcome address, a leader of thought in the host community and the Principal and Proprietor, Folk Technical College, Chief Ambassador Francis Eze Igwe appealed to the farmers to embrace new farming technologies so as to improve their harvest and revenue from their agricultural activities. He further thanked the university management for taking interest in the welfare of its host community, adding that such gestures would promote peaceful coexistence between them entities.
Speaking at the event, a Professor of Agro-Business, J. O. Alimba unveiled the numerous benefits of organic fertilizers in farming, urging the participants to shun inorganic fertilizers as it contains chemicals that are destructive to both soil nutrients and important bacteria needed for boosting farm outputs.
Alimba maintained that through the right application of organic fertilizers and irrigation, farmers could plant crops all year round, noting that Thailand as a nation produces rice three times a year with maximum export capacity.

The Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Dr. Christiana Igberi in her remarks noted that the faculty would continue to partner with local farmers in Ebonyi State as part of the university’s community service to help them reap the benefits of modern farming. She maintained that Ebonyi State being mainly an agrarian area, would benefit from the various plans of the faculty towards running a production-driven Agriculture programmes, urging the various stakeholders in the State to key into the university agricultural plans.

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