Hello steemians! It's me @omonosa and I really feel everyone should read this! It's my little experience!
Being a homesteader and that I have been helping in my sister's farm lately which is in a rural area, I felt I really needed to share my experience as the whole running around took me to quite some communities in the area here in Nigeria where I saw a lot of farmers working. It seemed farming was their major occupation there..
Coming from the Urban area where practicing agriculture(farming) was something better than what I saw, I thought to myself 'We over here do not work as hard as these people'. The saddening part is that farmers here earn a better living.
The prices of the same produce are more expensive here yet they were better and fresher over there... free from chemical additives!
I wish I went with a means of getting pictures ignoring the fact that I had to move without my devices for security reasons! We even had to walk as there was no good road access to the farms!!
I really started to think of government policies and what I wrote about private agriculture firms earlier...
But how can these farmers really be helped is the big question.
Some agencies really need to leave their comfort and come over to places like that to see for themselves that it is not all rosey as the urban areas site it!!
The farmers can't afford mechanization, their only source of water is a river two communities away and I was told, road access is poor and yet they still have good produce!! It is just so pathetic.
Yes!! Hoping is not the solution to this problem. People need to come here and see. Government need to help!!
I really wish that i wasnt just a student and that I had the manpower to support those farmers. Imagine how just one tractor and a solar powered water supply will help and give them joy!!
The truth is, many of us may one way or another have come across situations like these not even in agriculture alone and haven't said anything probably because you feel you have nothing to do!!... You do!!
Channel them to appropriate agencies, bring these people to light, go to a press and publish if you can, draw attention of people you know can help, don't keep quiet because you are comfortable with life!
Agencies!! come out of your zone and reach out!! Reach out! Make life a better place for farmers and the families they cater for!!
They contribute to food sufficiency!
Cheers!
The team at COMMUNITY NEWS is hoping that blockchain technology could help farmers worldwide through the efficient allocation of resources to communities across the globe.
Great post Omonosa!
There are some organisations that are trying to help these farmers. In Nigeria you hear of http://farmcrowdy.com and http://thriveagric.com who are big players in the digital sector in agriculture here, they help these farmers with mechanisation and also provide high ROI for investorsto assists these farmers.
Hellow @jaff8, how much do you know about these organizations? I am just starting a new community here on Steemit. Our goal is to buy seeds and help supply clean water where ever it is needed in the world. We are VERY small right now, but I would gladly start a fund to help supply water to one of these communities if they are really trying to help these people.
It appears that thriveagric.com has gone out of business. Their product categories page has CLOSED in big letters across the top and all the stock items say "out of stock".
You introduce government agencies? You introduce new problems.
What is the "do it yourself" entrepreneurial solution?
If you see a problem....you are the first one that can maybe find the solution. Maybe not now. Maybe 10 years later. But my fear is that if government agencies come in.....
The farmers i saw that day cannot keep working like that, they will age fast. We have look at the greater good here.
It is the lack of out reach that results in recycling of old lands using chemicals. There are enough fresh lands still to be cultivated.
Please folllw back
There are NGOs that can give out help to these farmers. Waiting for our government is going to be a long stretch. Especially in this country
Let us do well to make these agencies see what they have to do!
I live in Rural Canada, and we depend on our farmers
The neglect of the rural farmers is sad as they are responsible for a lionshare of the Nation's food!
NOT the urban farmers!
Very informative. Thanks for sharing. Agriculture is just so broad
Whoa...nice post man....we just have to do all we can to make a difference....you never know how far reaching a word can be......lets keep sharing.
Thank you for posting this @omonosa. I do not have much funds to work with but I will try to find a way to help them get water.
Great! I would love to help. Just let me know how i can come in @fernowl13
This is a completely new area for me. I know almost nothing about the are other than it has been unstable and not getting the help these people need. Water is one of my main concerns because the entire world is running out of clean water. When people in the USA are having to clean their water, you know the remainder of the world is having worse problems than us.
There is so much new technology for water. Do you know what is being tried in the area already? Is it a matter of pumping water from somewhere else, drilling for water on their land or what?
Drilling will be better. I saw power in the area. Drilling for water and pumping into tanks will be very helpful to them.
All they would then have to do is pump, store and use!