From Kehinde Akinpelu, ilorin
The Stakeholders of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) have called on Government at all levels to employ Agriculture Graduates and train them as Extensions officers in order for them to educate rural farmers on appropriate use of technology to practice.
The Leader of AFAN stakeholders, Dr. Tunde Arosanyin made the call in Ilorin on Thursday while speaking to journalists on how to improve food production in the country.
According to him, there is a wide gap between modern technology of farming and utilization by rural farmers.
Arosanyin echoed the need for extension officers who will interpret and educate rural farmers on use of technology to boost agriculture.
He explained that extension officers have gone into extinction and need for them to manifest again for a boost in food production.
” The government at all levels should come to the rescue by employing agric graduates, train them as extension officers for them to impact rural farmers on technology usage.
” When the graduates are employed, they will help in educating farmers on appropriate technology to use, the right seed to plant time to plant, time to harvest,post harvest challenges and use of modern technologies.
” We need to revive the role of extension officers as most of the rural farmers lack proper orientation on technology usage,” he said .
Arosanyin,who is also the Chairman of AFAN stakeholders, called on State government and Local government to put up a robust farmers subsidy scheme inline with the efforts of Federal government to boost food production in the country.
He called on other levels of government to show some sense of responsibility by supporting farmers through farm inputs and modern tools.
He also stressed that AFAN condemned the legal tussle between Arch. Kabir Ibrahim and Mr .Mudi Farouk, however,called for peace between the two factional leaders.
According to him, the leadership tussle is affecting the progress of the Association as no success can be achieved with a divided house.
The Chairman ,also disclosed that Seven man committee has been formed to interface with the leaders for peaceful co-existence and need to comply with the judgement of the Court of Appeal by organizing an all inclusive election.
He also called on Agriculture stakeholders and top hierarchy to prevail on the ongoing tusstle to allow peace to reign in the Association.
” I call on the stakeholders and top hierarchy to support the General Assembly of farmers to quench the ongoing tussle between the two factional leaders,” he said.
