AGBOR (Ika Weekly) – A university don, Prof. Peter Egbon has said that the physical strength required to perform farm activities in Ika land makes farming unattractive to younger generation.
And in order to change the ugly trend, Prof. Egbon called for modernization and commercialization of agriculture in Ika land.
Making the assertions in a 44-page paper he presented at the recent 8th Ika Kanma annual Lectures, held at College of Education Main Hall Agbor, Prof. Egbon remarked that since Ika is known as the highest cassava producer in Delta State and since cassava price has gone up in the global market, Government should diversify the economy of the state by encouraging Deltans to go back to land and cultivate both cash and food crops.
He also advocated for adequate assistance to farmers to have access to land, farming inputs such as tractor, improved seedling and technical expertise by extension service workers.
The professor of Economics, Delta State University Abraka, further called on the State Government to partner with private sector to invest directly in agriculture as a strategy for increasing food production and creating employment for the teeming unemployed youths.
Speaking on the theme; “New Challenges and Options for Revitalizing Ika Rural Economy”, Prof Egbon expressed fear on the use of modern farming techniques in fragmented land holdings in Ika land as he called for the establishment of more State Communal farms, development of farm settlement programmes, loan to small scale farmers and fishermen, oil palm development programme, and State Government subsidized fertilizer procurement programme.
He called on major stakeholders to partner with Government to establish a medium-scale enterprise to turn the refuse generated on daily basis into wealth by using it to produce fertilizer.
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