Abuja – Mr Benny Umer, the acting Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to deploy modern technology in improving agricultural production.
Umer told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the secret behind Israeli’s improved agricultural productivity was the establishment of a number of academic institutions by the yishuv – the Jewish community in Palestine prior to the establishment of the State of Israel.
“One of the reasons for the success of the Israeli agricultural centre, is its very close relationship with the research level, the laboratories and the professors in the Universities of agriculture and the farmers.
“We have an exchange on a regular basis; the extension service of the (Israeli) ministry of agriculture is on the ground.
“The extension service providers visit the farmers every week, giving them ideas, giving them the last result of the agricultural research among the doctors and professors in the universities.
“And this is what I will recommend warmly to the Nigerian government to see how to improve the quality of the extension service, which I believe will be beneficial for the farmers who will apply it on the ground.
“The result will show very quickly.“
Umer said Africa, and Nigeria in particular was blessed with more natural resources than Israel.
According to him, Nigeria will improve its agricultural output massively if it can harness the huge natural resources it possesses.
The envoy called for the exchange of ideas between Nigerian and Israeli ministries of agriculture, science and technology, professors and students.
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He added that an exchange programme between the two countries would be of huge benefit to Nigerian farmers. (NAN)