Utilization of Niger Delta Basin Coastal Fresh Water Swamps for Meaning Agricultural Production.

The study was designed to assess the potential and utilization of the Fresh Water Swamp of Onuebum, Bayelsa State in Niger Delta Basin for meaningful agricultural production. The results of the study shown that Onuebum Fresh Water Swamp soils have hydromorphic properties which have great potentials for agricultural production. The favourable climatic parameters (rain fall, temperature, sunshine, relative humidity), natural vegetation and vast hectareage of land in these Fresh Water Swamp favoured the cultivation of both arable and perennial crops such as Cassava, Maize, Yam, Cocoyam, Plantain, Paddy Rice, Sweet potatoes, Pumpkin, Coconut, Oil palm, Rubber, e.t.c. Apart from the dominant crop Raphia palms which thrives in this soils, in addition, the natural occurring of ponds throughout the year also favoured integrated Raphia fish farming and also bee keepings. Generally, from the finding, the Onuebum Fresh Water Swamps provide great potential for extensive large scale agricultural production, thus the Federal, State and Local Government should seized this opportunity provided by this clearly identified potential of Onuebum Coastal Fresh Water Swamp of the Niger Delta Basin for massive agricultural production in order to reduce the growing pressure on food self sustainability natural imposed on the area for increased food production to meet the needs of the ever increasing human population.