Don Warns Farmers: Planting Crops at Dumpsites May Cause Cancer

Professor Mabel Ifeoma Onwuka, a soil science expert at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU) in Abia State, has cautioned farmers against planting crops at dumpsites due to the potential cancer risk. She voiced concerns over the poor soil texture in the southeast region and called for proactive measures to address the looming threat of food insecurity.

Speaking on Tuesday during a community outreach organized in collaboration with the Peri-Urban Agricultural unit of the National Roots Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike at Umuajata Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA, Prof. Onwuka highlighted the detrimental effects of certain cultural practices on soil fertility. She pointed to bush burning, population pressure, climate change, erosion, and the indiscriminate use of fertilizers as major factors leading to poor soil yields.

Prof. Onwuka specifically warned against planting crops at waste dumpsites, explaining that heavy metals such as mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and thallium (Tl) present in these sites could be absorbed by crops, leading to cancer and other health conditions.

She also lamented the recent sharp increase in food prices and urged Nigerians to grow some of the crops they consume. During the outreach, she demonstrated Biochar Production and how to convert domestic and agricultural waste into organic fertilizer, encouraging Abia farmers to leverage MOUAU community service outreaches to enhance food production.

Prof. Onwuka expressed concern over the difficulty rural women face in accessing fertilizers and emphasized that the rural outreach aims to extend new research innovations to boost food production in Abia and Nigeria at large.