Osun varsity VC makes case for useful information for smallholder farmers

VICE-Chancellor, Osun State University, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye, has posited that smallholder farmers need information disseminated through extension services on cutting edge innovation to drive food economy on the farms.

Adebooye, stated this while featuring as keynote speaker during the years 2022/2023 South-West Research Extension Farmers Input Linkage System (REFILS) workshop, held on the premises of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Moor Plantation,Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Speaking on the theme of the workshop: “Innovative Approaches To Tackle Impacts of Climate Change And Insecurity On Agricultural Productivity In South-West Nigeria” Adebooye, noted that:”We should recaliberate our research and extension system to ensure that farms are sustainable and climate-smart to secure our future as a people.

“Information is critical for effective farm management and is necessary to understand and tradeoffs and synergies resulting from the choices. Research should provide demand-driven outcome-based solutions that are the key to increasing opportunities for farmers.

“Better tools and better information give farmers and farming communities more choices. For extension services, digital tools are great in conveying information. For instance, information and communication technologies, telephones, computers, television, radio an d others are garnering increased attention for their potential to scale agricultural extension and training.”

Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, while speaking on the theme of the workshop said the theme is relevant and germane at a time like this.

He stated that:”The issue of climate change has greatly and adversely affected agricultural productivity in Nigeria and the world at large. This has raised a huge challenge for agricultural experts and farmers.

“Now is the time for all of us to begin to look into ways and means of addressing this issue, to mitigate the negative impact it has had on agricultural productivity.”

In her address, Director, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Professor Veronica Obatolu, said gross inadequate funding for agricultural research for development is still a serious problem.

The funds according to her come late, stating that since the agricultural sector is on the concurrent national and state legislative list, it will be better if all tiers of government played significant roles and meaningful interventions on specific issues relating to their immediate environment in a manner that agricultural problems are solved holistically.

She concluded that IAR&T is ever ready to partner with states and local govrnments, particularly those within the south-west, National and State House of Assembly, Mon-Governmental Organisations, especially in the areas of training and empowerment  of youth and other stakeholders into the agricultural value chain.

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