Story from Haruna USMAN, Kebbi
An Associate Professor of Agromics from the Kebbi State University of Science and Technology who is also the Dean Faculty of Agriculture Mallam Adamu Muhammad has described the present system of farming in Nigeria as mundane and policies put in place as discouraging.
Professor Adamu while speaking to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi said before the oil boom in the country, agriculture had been the economic mainstay where cocoa from the south, groundnut from the north and timber from the west were used to explore the oil found in the country, therefore agriculture according to him is supposed to be a business not for mere consumption.
He added that serious countries who formulated good technology-driven policies on agriculture and implemented same are exporting their products to Europe and Africa.
He cited Israel as a country surrounded by desert but has been able through modern farming techniques to facilitate the growth of cash crops thereby creating economic value chain.
Adamu explained that claims made by Kebbi state to be able to feed the nation is true but poor or non-implementation of agricultural policies largely due to lack of sincerity from the policymakers and those handling the true implementation failed to meet the expectation of people of Kebbi state and the nation as a whole.
The dean who affirmed the Anchor Borrowers scheme as a good initiative that can truly feed the nation if properly handled lamented that it lacks the political will to guarantee its success.
He stated that Kebbi state with its massive land that stretches from Argungu to Birnin Kebbi to Zuru was sufficient to produce enough rice for public consumption and attract huge revenue to the state and Nigeria.
Despite the fact that cultivable lands were becoming scarce due human developments, modern agriculture he said requires not much of land, but technology and determination since improved seeds were now used to boost bumper harvests with little land sizes.
Professor Adamu also lauded the attempt made by the federal government to build an earth dam at Argungu through to Zauro but was dropped due to the huge pressure from the people of the area who no longer trust the government on payments of compensation. He said if the dam had been constructed, not only Kebbi but Nigeria as a whole would have attained food sufficiency.
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va74ZvU2v1IqKByXoX3d
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
