The Cross River State Government on Wednesday launched the distribution of improved cowpea seeds (SAMPEA 20-T) to farmers and households across the state, to improve food security, nutrition, and household livelihoods.

The launch, held at the Calabar Municipal Council, was led by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Andiambey Ebokpo. 

Speaking at the event, Ebokpo said the initiative is a step toward ensuring affordable access to protein-rich foods for the people of Cross River State.

“We are not just distributing seeds today but deepening our collective commitment to food security, nutrition, and sustainable livelihoods for the people of Cross River State,” Ebokpo said.

Under the homestead cowpea cultivation programme, part of Governor Bassey Otu’s Food Security and Nutrition Initiative, 3,600 packs of 1.5kg improved cowpea seeds are distributed to households. 

The programme encourages families to cultivate beans in backyards and community spaces, helping to bridge critical nutritional gaps, particularly for children.

Ebokpo highlighted the challenge of rising food inflation, noting that staple foods like beans and animal proteins have become increasingly unaffordable due to high transportation costs and market prices.

“By promoting homestead cowpea cultivation, we are offering families an affordable, accessible, and sustainable protein source,” he explained.

The commissioner emphasised that the initiative is not a short-term relief effort. Farmers are encouraged to “consume and conserve”, using the harvest for immediate nutrition while saving seeds for future planting. 

State extension officers will provide technical support to ensure continuous seed multiplication and a future shift to smallholder and commercial production.

The programme aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and interventions by the Nigerian Council on Nutrition to address multidimensional poverty. 

Ebokpo called on beneficiaries to “plant, multiply, and feed our families and communities with nutritious food,” describing the initiative as “sowing seeds of hope, abundance, and a healthier future for Cross River State.”

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. John Ikongha, stressed the importance of nutrition to human well-being and outlined the four pillars of food security: availability, access, utilisation, and stability. 

He described the project as home-based, with families cultivating seeds in their immediate surroundings.

The Director of Agricultural Services, Ubi Ubana, warned about properly handling treated seeds, emphasising their high-yielding and pest-resistant qualities.

“The quantity given is 1.5kg. When properly planted, you can harvest about 100kg of beans in 75 to 90 days,” he said, adding that seeds are strictly for planting and must be handled with care.

Hilary Bisong, Chairman of the House Committee on Nutrition, praised the commissioner’s leadership and pledged legislative support. 

A task force representative highlighted the importance of cowpea as an affordable alternative to costly animal protein, stressing that “you cannot have healthy people that are hungry.”

Source: Tribune Online