Economy
PROF. Philips Nto, Rector, College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, Abia has urged Nigerian engineers to get involved in the design and manufacturing of local systems to assist livestock farmers achieve increased productivity.
Nto, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia, on Wednesday, said such would also help in the preservation of farm harvests.
The rector also called on them to help reduce food insecurity in the country by designing and developing relevant agricultural machinery to boost food production and.
Nto, a former commissioner in Abia, said that robotic milking, leading to precision livestock management, was in vogue in many countries of the world.
According to him, robotics and sensors have been demonstrated to provide improved production within animal management system.
“We are still talking of open grazing by herders whereas ranching and all forms of scientific breeding of animals have taken root, even in South Africa and Uganda.
“Can our engineers afford to be complacent and lay back in the face of these changing fortunes of other countries?, he queried.
The rector also identified preservation of crops, after harvest, as some of the greatest challenges facing the Nigerian farmers.
He expressed concern that that the joy a farmer was usually cut short after bountiful harvest because the produce usually turned into waste because of lack of an enduring storage system.(NAN)
– Sept. 11, 2019 @ 12:59 GMT |
Tags: What Nigerian engineers should do to increase farmers’ productivity – Rector
