Farm Settlements Not Sustainable In Nigeria – Commissioner

The Edo Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Abdul Oroh, on Monday said that farm settlements were not sustainable in Nigeria.

Oroh, who made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, said that people no longer like to stay in seclusion.

He said that the clamour for white-collar jobs had contributed to the lack of interest in agriculture.
The commissioner said that farm settlements in past accounted for the state’s dominance in the production of cash crops like palm oil and rubber.

He said that civilisation had eroded the culture of farm settlements, noting that “we have several farm settlements in the senatorial zones, but as we speak, none of them is functioning.

“It is no longer in our way. People no longer like to stay in seclusion”.

Oroh said the state would open up over 300, 000 hectares of land for the cultivation of rice, palm trees, cocoa, cassava, sugarcane and rubber in the next three years.

He said the aim was to grow over 25 to 30 per cent of food consumed by the nation in the next five years.
“ A nation that cannot feed itself is not only insecure but prone to avoidable social pressures that could ultimately pose threat to the nation,” he said.

According to him, the state is also planning a geo-spatial survey of its landmass to validate its existing land bank. (NAN)

loading...