Back to our local farms is a form of social distancing that could also put food on the table for poor countries.
The situation of our world right now calls for great concern especially as it concerns health and economy.
Not too long of my gainsaying, it became a reality that our world has come to another disastrous recession which might be worse than the last episode in 2009.
It’s heart failing that in approximately 10 years of recession, we’re faced with not just a pandemic but also recession that followed as a result of Corona pandemic.
It saddened my heart after reading the statement from IMF chief who made it evidently clear that we’re yet again in another devastating economic meltdown known/recession.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has declared that we have entered a global recession — one that is as bad as or worse than the previous global financial crisis. 80 countries have already requested emergency assistance from the IMF. Meanwhile, the G20 has reported fiscal measures totaling some 5 trillion dollars or over 6% of global GDP.
80 countries have already requested emergency assistance from the IMF.
My country Nigeria could be among these countries in need of emergency financial help.
How do we fight a virus that demands people to sit at home as a measure of stopping the spread? Social distancing is encouraged at this time, and in Nigeria, absolute shutdown of movement is already in place in many states.
But this approach could only work with developed countries and not in a country like mine where there’s no political correctness, we’re battling with economic instability and economic mismanagement even before these ugly situations.
Self-quarantine, or call it sit at home is suicidal to poor masses who doesn’t have any food storage at their homes nor any money with them.
At least in developed countries, governments sets measures in making sure that their citizens are supplied with food and other life basic needs, but in our case, we’re left with nothing than security officials who makes sure that poor and hungry people are caged to die at home out of hunger.
Farming could help poor Africans to survive both recession and pandemic virus 🦠
A country like Nigeria with a vast landmass may salvage her poor citizens who may strive to survive naturally by embracing farming at this critical period.
Getting busy at farm lands is a good way to distance ourselves socially and at same time puts food on the table.
Farming season is fast approaching in Nigeria and in some other subsaharan African countries as at the time of this article.
It’s important to note that just a single engagement in farming for one season could project one to a financial axis. Take for instance, before the escalation of Coronavirus, a small bucket of garri (a popular food made of cassava) was sold for a dollar 💵 but after the shutdown of business, the price went high as 4 dollars per bucket.
Now, people who cultivated cassava in the last farming season are busy reaping the fortunes of the labor. It’s not too late for others to learn and engage in agricultural activities especially at this time that recession is here with us. Maybe by so doing, not just that we’ll stop the spread of Coronavirus by staying busy at our farm lands where crowd is nearly impossible, but we’ll be sure that we’re not shortchanged by shortage of food.
Thanks for reading.
For updates on some of the things happening in Africa and in Nigeria, you can follow me onHIVE, READ-CASH,STEEM, and TWITTER @IfyAnyachor