The Acting Director of the Directorate of University Farms (DUFARMS), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, Mr. Emmanuel Bankole, has charged staff and members of the University community to key into the Staff Farming Programme, organised by the Directorate. He gave the charge while featuring on a Yoruba live interactive programme, ‘Agbedotun’ on FUNAAB Radio 89.5FM.
According the him, the programme is designed for staff of the University, saying it has three main objectives, which include; helping the country in terms of food sufficiency, preparing the people for retirement, and helping in tackling insecurity in the country. He emphasised that the major challenge facing farmers was the issue of labour, adding that most youths are not interested in going into farming. He revealed that the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olusola Kehinde, had directed DUFARMS to mechanise the programme for intending staff “in order to take away aspects that are labour-intensive”.
He appealed to members of staff to embrace the initiative of the University management, noting that it was a laudable programme that would prepare them for their retirements, stressing that it is an opportunity for FUNAAB to also set an example and to show that the only way to profitable farming was through mechanised agriculture. Mr. Bankole, however, called for more funding for specialised universities like FUNAAB to be able to do more, saying it was not out of place for the University, in future, to provide mechanisation services for people within and outside its vicinity.