By Mercy Obojeghren
Asaba – A vegetable farmer in Delta, Mr Paul Ukpe, has called on women and youths in the state to embrace vegetable farming to boost their sources of income.
Ukpe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba on Saturday, that “vegetable farming is one of the fastest and lucrative businesses in the country today, especially during the rainy season.’’
He said that cultivation of vegetables take between two to three months, adding that the farmer would start harvesting at the end of the third month.
“Vegetable farming is faster and very lucrative; unlike the time you spend in cultivating cassava, maize and other crops,’’ he said.
Ukpe, a former lawmaker in the state House of Assembly, appealed to Nigerians especially the youths, to embrace vegetable farming.
He claimed that about 75per cent of farmers in the country, pay less attention to vegetable farming, saying “vegetable farming is one of the easiest ways to boost income.’’
Ukpe recalled that in the last few months, the price of tomatoes went up in the country due to scarcity.
He advised farmers in the Niger Delta region to venture into cultivation of tomatoes, as it took few months to mature.
He said that if tomatoes could be cultivated in the Northern part of the country, “there is no reason why the crop will not do better in the Niger Delta region.’’
“This is because we have abundance of water and fertile soil in the region,’’ he added.
Ukpe appealed to women and youths in the oil rich region to go back to agriculture, saying, “agriculture has the potential of engaging everybody in the society.’’
“One of the reasons why we are where we are today is because we have not embraced agriculture,’’ he said.