By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko
Ibadan – Dr Folake Akinbode, the Head of Maize Improvement Programme, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, has urged Federal Government to reactivate pest control agencies in the country.
She made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Friday.
She said that the agencies, when reactivated, would help to monitor any outbreak of pests and diseases in the country.
She also advised government to establish farmers’-friendly insurance policy so as to encourage them to produce more food.
Akinbode said that for the country to obtain effective economic diversification through agriculture, farmers must be given great attention.
“We have issues of climate change, making cropping system not safe, nobody can predict when to plant; one of the effects of the changes is the insurgence of army worm.
“Farmers rarely get profit from the farm these days because pests consume large hectares of land.
“So, insurance will help farmers to recover losses and make a little gain.
The programme head also advised government to always carry along stakeholders in agriculture policy decision-making, stressing that research institutes be adequately funded “because it is the outcome of research activities that farmers will use in their farms.
She disclosed that the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, was working on low Nitrogen tolerant maize varieties which were adaptable to South-Western agro-ecologies.
“We are working on the yellow and white colours, the variety is also high in carotene; very soon, we will release them to farmers.”
(NAN)