Don wants establishment of farm settlements to encourage youths` participation in farming


A don, Dr Ebun Iretiola, has urged all tiers of government to establish farm settlements with basic social amenities to attract energetic and intelligent youths to farming.

Iretiola, a Senior Lecturer, Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Fountain University, Osogbo, made the call in Osogbo on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said research works on farming activities had revealed that many youths, who supposed to embrace agriculture, were discouraged by the social conditions in the rural areas where farms were located.

The senior lecturer further advocated for more credit facilities in form of soft loans to farmers to encourage mechanised agriculture in the country.

Iretiola also appealed to all tiers of government to review their policies on agriculture to increase food production and secure the nation`s future.

He stated that policy review on agriculture became imperative for the purpose of making the sector more capital-driven and investors friendly.

Iretiola opined that the occasional life-line funds being voted for commercial banks to bail them out of distress could have been used to help farmers in the country to go into full mechanised farming.

While commending the Federal Government on farm inputs to farmers through Growth Enhancement Support (GES) Scheme, he called on the government to sustain the scheme for increase in agricultural activities.




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