Agriculture
SENATOR Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West) on Wednesday called on farmers to take full advantage of the present border closure to enhance the production of food in the country.
The Senator made the call while delivering his welcome speech at the 12th Annual Agriculture Show in Karu Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State.
Adamu, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, said farmers must step up production of agricultural products in order to fill the vacuum created by the closure.
He also appealed to the government to protect local farmers by sustaining the ban on the importation of food items that the farmers were capable of sufficiently producing locally.
“The protection of our farmers against foreign invaders must rank high in our list of priorities because it would amount to self-sabotage if we cannot curb our appetite for imported food items,” the senator said.
Adamu assured Nigerians that he would do his best in the senate to ensure that the nation’s agricultural research institutes were funded properly, to strengthen them for better output.
He said that the agricultural institutes had played a vital role in the past toward the boom the country had.
“Agriculture, now more than ever before the world over, relies on, and benefits from modern research into crop production, so, Nigeria cannot be an exception,” he said.
While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for the steps taken so far to protect farmers, the senator appealed that more needed to be done to ensure that they carried out their activities without fear.
Adamu said that the agricultural show was aimed at bringing farmers, vendors and manufacturers together with the view of ensuring healthy competition, to showcase their activities to the outside world. (NAN)
– Oct 17, 2019 @ 9:09 GMT |
Tags: Adamu urges farmers to take advantage of border closure
