Expert wants women, youth encouraged in farming


 Mr Kolawole Omotosho, an Agriculture expert, on Wednesday said that the youth and women should be encouraged to participate in farming.
Omotosho told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that areas such as exportation, loan facilities and value chain had to be improved, to favour women and youth participation in the profession.
``The government must endeavour to sensitise farmers by strengthening the faulty agricultural structures on ground.
``This, in turn, has the ability to encourage the youths to get more involved in the profession.
Omotosho commended the Federal Ministry of Agriculture on its policy aimed at implementation of some youth and women empowerment programmes, to ensure their inclusion and involvement in the sector.
``The Federal Ministry of Agriculture just passed a policy aimed at inclusion and implementation of some women and youth empowerment programs because it was discovered that women are not involved in farming.
``If this policy is properly implemented, it will contribute to the attractiveness of the agriculture sector, because the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and other associations are behind the policy,’’ Omotosho said.
He appealed to the government to also take some steps in the area of financing.
``The government also has to look into the area of reducing the interest rate to five per cent on agriculture loans, and I believe if this is put in place, youths will come in and this area of finance is a very important.
``Bank of Agriculture is the specialised bank for agriculture in Nigeria.
``And if they should come out with what we have concluded on the five per cent interest rate, this is another area that that would encourage the youth,’’ he said. 

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