Dr Idris Badiru, a senior lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ibadan, recently observed that agriculture remained a viable means of generating revenue in the face of the gradual fall in the price of crude oil.
According to him, farming, especially dry season farming can yield more money to farmers and ensure food supply always.
He observed that crops that thrive during the dry season –between November and March — are usually vegetables and maize which used to be expensive during the period.
“With dry season farming, these can grow throughout the year because ordinarily, at that time of the year, people don’t normally cultivate,’’ he said.
He solicited more participation of farmers in large scale dry season farming to guarantee steady income and food security.
Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Isaac Amusan, the Manager, Seed Processing and Storage, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, said the importance of dry season farming could not be over-emphasised.
He observed that dry season farming would also boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product and eliminate the scarcity of vegetables.
He pleaded with the government to construct more dams and strengthen state agricultural development programmes by funding them adequately.
“Policy statement of the government must be consistent with what is the reality on ground; youths that are interested in agriculture should be trained and empowered for serious farming business.
“The government should put in place infrastructure for an organised market for farm produce to attract better pricing and reduce waste,’’ Amusan said.
Sharing similar opinion, Mr Oladeji Afolayan, a farmer, said dry farming gave him more money.
“Now, 12 bunches of Ewedu is N15,000 unlike in rainy season that it will be sold for about N1, 200 while 12 bunches of Ugu (pumpkin) that is sold for N10,000 during the rainy season is presently N40,000.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“Most vegetables are sold hundred per cent higher in dry season, if you will even get them and the stress is not much compared to the money you make,’’ he observed.
In his view, Dr Morufat Balogun, a lecturer at the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, University of Ibadan, vegetables especially ugu (pumpkin), thrive and become fresh when grown out of rainy season.
Balogun said farmers could plant pumpkin in close containers such as pot, emphasising that it required no labour as they would not need to water it too often.
“Also, they will not have to weed often in this case because when they put soil in the pot, the first set of weed that normally comes out is not likely to come again.
“Farmers can also use hydroponics system whereby you put water in a container but the water will be enriched with nutrient solution,’’ she said.
She further explained that planting around the riverside during dry season was better and cheaper as the farmer would not need to wet the vegetables.
She, nonetheless, urged the Federal Government to regulate prices of agricultural products to boost the nation’s economy.
Balogun said the prices of agricultural products should be regulated just as that of petroleum so that farmers would not sell at a loss.
“For agriculture to develop and meet up in diversifying the economy, the Federal Government should create an agricultural price regulation board.
“Because without it, farmers can produce and people will say I can’t buy for more than or less than this or that.
“So, the farmer will not want to throw away what he has planted but to just give away at the price offered by buyers to his disadvantage.
“But if the government says this is the minimum price of plantain per kilogramme, everybody will abide by that.
“By this, the economy will turn around because farmers will be encouraged to produce more and government will benefit through the exportation of the farm produce,’’ she said.
She also solicited the review of the country’s export policy, saying that high demands on export issues in terms of finance and approval of expression of interest were part of challenges facing agriculture development in the country.
She also stressed the need for public-private partnership for agricultural production and for farmers to have access to farming technologies.
“There should be initiatives by the government to reach people on new technologies and non-governmental organisations should educate farmers beyond research institutes that are established for technology development,’’ she said.
All in all, agronomists insist that food is a do-without for every individual while agriculture remains a veritable source of wealth and job creation that any developing nations should invest in.(NANFeatures)
**If used, please credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)