Planting in August: Cardinal Okpaleke, Flags Off Special Yam Farming Period for Fr Philip Okoye
By Ifeoma Ezenyilimba
Baring harvest, which the month of August is majorly known for, the Initiator of Philoco Method of Yam Production, Rev Fr Philip Uche Okoye, on Sunday, August 18, 2024, flagged off what he tagged “Special Yam Farming Period”, so as to enable yam be planted and harvested all year round.
The official flag off was performed by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia (CADEK),His Eminence, Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke.
Speaking on the occasion of the 7th Edition of his New Yan Festival, Fr Okoye, known as Diji, said the special yam farming period, was to provide food all year round, and by so doing, tackle hunger in the land.
Diji, who explained that he had carried out an experiment of how yam seedlings could produce stems early, stated that with the process he invented, yam would be planted in October, and be harvested in April and another set planted in April, and harvested in November.
The priest farmer, added that based on the special yam farming period method, big yam tubers would also be harvested in January.
He assured that the yam tubers that would be harvested in March, following the flag off, would be among the gift items Holy Family Parish, Akpo would present to the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia come the 2025 Cathedraticum.
According to him, that would be in fulfilment of the directives by Cardinal Okpaleke, that every parish which would present yam tubers as part of the cathedraticum gifts, should ensure the yams are those harvested from the land of the parish communities.
Flagging off the special yam planting method, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia, His Eminence Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke, prayed that the initiative be sustained and be able to produce not only yam, but other crops for sustainable feeding of the Igbo populace.
Cardinal Okpaleke, who was represented by the Chancellor of CADEK, assured Fr Okoye of the consistent support of the diocese towards the many transformative changes he has been championing. He urged people to just like the priest, embrace agriculture in any little way possible for sustainable food production.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Nze Henry Dim, encouraged every person to go into farming so as to produce food and fight the current hunger in Nigeria.
Nze Dim, who is the President General of Akpo Development Association (ADA), described Rev Fr Philip Okoye as a great asset to the town, the Church and entire humanity.
In an interview with the press, a Lagos-based parishioner of Holy Family Parish, Akpo, Sir Joe Okpalaobi, described the transformative invention of Fr Okoye to carry out yam cultivation all round the year as a welcome development.
He called on the government to provide irrigation so as to make the yam cultivation process easier. Sir Okpalaobi stated that with irrigation, Fr Okoye would not be spending extra costs in purchase of water.
Also speaking, the traditional ruler of Igboukwu, Igwe Ejikemeuwa Azike Onyedibe, Idu III of Igboukwu, thanked Gid for the special innovation of Philoco Method of Yam Production, which he (Gid), blessed the Igbos with.
