Governor Otu Sets Up A Team Of Soil Scientists And Environmental Experts To Conduct State Wide Soil Mapping Exercise

Governor Otu Sets Up A Team Of Soil Scientists And Environmental Experts To Conduct State Wide Soil Mapping Exercise 

By ©JAE MEDIA.

Consistent with the present administration's commitment to making agriculture the main-stay of the Cross River's economy, Governor Bassey Edet Otu has set up a team of soil scientists and environmental specialists to carry out a digital soil mapping exercise across the State in order to ascertain the nutritional components of the soil in the respective geographical zones and local government areas of the state.

This is aimed at providing the State Government with accurate agricultural data of each local government so as to take informed decisions on the type of crops to be grown in a particular place for sustainability and commercialization 

In his meeting with the team, recently in Calabar, Governor Bassey Edet Otu pledged to give the team of experts all the necessary support to ensure that the exercise is completed within the specified time, as his administration is poised to revolutionise agriculture for the betterment of Cross Riverians and residents of the State.

Prof(Mrs) Marian Solomon, the lead consultant who is an indigene of  Cross River State and a prominent soil scientist thanked the Government for sourcing for thoroughbred professionals to carry out such an important exercise for the State and also finding her worthy enough to lead the team. She pledged to put in her best to deliver within the timeline set for the completion of the project.

She congratulated Hon. Johnson Ebokpo on his appointment as the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, describing him as a gift to the State, having known him as an Agro technocrat over the  years, while expressing confidence in his ability to lead the charge for Cross River's agricultural revolution.

Giving a detailed briefing of the forthcoming  digital soil mapping exercise to the Governor, Prof. James Jayeoba,  a renowned  digital soil mapping expert from Nassarawa State University, Keffi and Chairman of Agricultural Deans in Nigerian Universities, said digital soil mapping can be classified into two, the static which does not take environmental changes into consideration and the covariance method  which takes care of all soil components, climate change and other environmental factors, adding that the latter remains the best for the state because once samples are drawn across the state and analysis is carried out in the laboratory and results implemented, the report  has the ability to adapt to any environmental changes that may occur in the future. 

In His vote of thanks, the Agric commissioner, Hon.Ebokpo thanked the Governor for the warm reception accorded  the team of experts, and assured the Governor of his burning desire to deliver on the mandate given to him upon his appointment as the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development. 

He pledged to work with relevant stakeholders in the agric sector to ensure the actualisation of the present administration's policy thrust in the Agriculture sector.

The team is made up of Prof(Mrs) Marian Solomon, Prof. O. James Jayeoba, Prof Bello .S.Olarenwaju and others.