By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Acting Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Professor Anthony Elujoba on Tuesday said Nigeria needs standardise price control to boost agriculture in Nigeria.
Professor Elujoba who gave the advice in Ibadan while speaking at the 2017 Annual In-House Review Exercise of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training Moor Plantation advised the Federal government to ensure standardise price control.
According to the OAU Acting Vice Chancellor,
“Government must also standardize price control because local market volatility is the biggest threat to entrepreneurs in agriculture. The farmers are taking a lot of risks in marketing their products due to unstable prices” he said.
Professor Elujoba added that for the President Muhammadu Buhari led government to achieve its target in diversifying the nation’s economy through agriculture, “there is a need to standardize price control due to the threat that local market pose to entrepreneurs in the sector. Stabilization of the market system will boost agriculture in Nigeria”.
Speaking through the Provost, OAU Post Graduate College, Professor David Alebiowu Professor Elujoba declared that doing this will go a long way in assisting farmers in the country that are taking a lot of risks in marketing their products due to unstable prices .
“Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest challenge is how to reposition agriculture as the sector still has the potentials to transform the economy. In order to overcome the challenges and improve agricultural productivity, improves implements and tools must be deployed to agricultural production, modern irrigation techniques, soil, crop and animal improvement programme must be energized”.
Emphasizing that “the system must also ensure better storage, processing and transportation methods”,Professor Elujoba said “mono-economy needs to give way to the production development of various sectors of the economy”.
“The agricultural sector if well developed will enhance provision of food and raw materials, jobs creation, reduce poverty for the Nigerian teeming population”.
Speaking further,he urged research institutes in the country to develop technologies that are demand -driven and adapt Information and Communication Technology tools for effective dissemination of information,saying, my dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, in the face of the present challenges, it is expected that research institutes develop technologies that are demand-driven and adapt information and communication technologies (ICT) tools to effectively disseminate information for efficient decision making process by our farmers”.
In his remark, the IAR&T Executive Director, Professor James Adediran declared that no fewer than 4,000 farmers have benefited from the institute’s training programs during the period under review, adding that the motive of the training for the farmers, intending farmers, members of Non-Governmental Organizations, women and unemployed youths was to reduce poverty, reduce unemployment and create jobs.
“During the year under review,some achievement apart from areas of research have been recorded in areas of infrastructure and human resources developments.
Over 4,000 farmers, intending farmers, non-governmental organization, women and unemployed youths benefited from training programmes conducted by the institute. The objective was to carry out training that will lead to poverty reduction, job and wealth creation. The farmers in turn were mandated and empowered to train other farmers in their various locations.
Professor Adediran added “this year, few of our scientists and technical staff could attend both international and local conferences where they presented their research findings. However, over 150 staff were promoted, with emergence of three additional professors in the institute”.
