NAN-AE-2
Food
Kokona (Nasarawa State) Oct. 21, 2016 (NAN) Prof. Dele Tologbonse, a lecturer from the Department of Agricultural Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, on Friday urged Nigerians to allow farmers access their unused land to boost food production.
Tologbonse, who is also the National Coordinator, Support to Agriculture for Strategies Crops (SARD-SC), gave the advice in Kokona, Nasarawa state at a symposium with the theme: “Nasarawa State Innovation Platform.”
The programme was organised by Nasarawa Agricultural Development Programme (NADP) in conjunction with the Support to Agriculture for Strategies Crops (SARD-SC) project.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised for some selected farmers in Nasarawa and Kaduna states to boost food production in the country.
Tologbonse urged politicians and wealthy Nigerians, who purchased and abandoned hectares of farm land, to lease them to farmers, who did not have enough to boost food production.
“God has endowed the country with abundant fertile land and agile human capital that are capable of producing food in abundant to meet the nation’s food requirement.’’
According to the don, no society can live comfortably without agriculture because agriculture is the major source of live hood of every family and nation.
He explained that agriculture will assist in fighting poverty, unemployment, youth restiveness and other social vices.
He said it would also boost food production and would as well enhance socio-economic development of the country.
The coordinator advised members of the public not to sell their land indiscriminately to well to do individuals.
The don frowned at a situation where some extended families sold their farm lands and shared the moneys within themselves for selfish interest, advising them to have a rethink in the interest of the future.
Prof. David Kolawale-Ojo of International Institute of Tropical Agriculture advised Nigerians to use their land for agricultural production to ensure food security in the country.
Kolawale-Ojo, who is a Soya beans scientist, called on prospective buyers of farm lands for unused purposes to lease such lands to willing farmers to ensure food security
Earlier, Isaiah Alokoson, the coordinator of the Nasarawa State of SARD-S project said the symposium was organised to proffer solutions to problems affecting agricultural production in the country.
According to him, the cardinal objective of the project is to build capacities of farmers, Extended Agricultural Staff (EAS), inputs dealers, manufacturers, processors, marketers among others in order to improve productivity and food security in Nigeria. (NAN)
AKW/ADA/AFA
Edited by Deji Abdulwahab/Felix Ajide
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