Prof. Kolawole Adebayo, Lecturer, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has reiterated the need for irrigation farming to guarantee food security.
Adebayo said that there was a need to develop an effective irrigation system and not depend on rain-fed agriculture in Lagos on Friday.
“Irrigation farming has been a long time available technology; the system is not new and it is a ready solution to less dependence on rain-fed agriculture.
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“From the medieval period, farmers have always depended on irrigation farming and it has always helped in the production of food.
“We can depend less on rain-fed agriculture like other countries around the world who cultivate all year round if we invest in the adequate irrigation system,’’ he said.
Adebayo appealed to the government to assist local farmers set up an irrigation system in their farms to boost food production.
According to him, irrigation is expensive at the beginning but once it is set up, maintenance is straightforward.
“Irrigation farming cost lesser than rain-fed agriculture and can help improve the productivity of local farmers.
“Unfortunately, I doubt if any of our local farmers can comfortably make that investment to set up an irrigation system for their farms which can last between five and 10 years.
“That means the government has to intervene if we have to depend less on a rain-fed agriculture system.
Government must intervene in assisting local farmers set irrigation systems,’’ he said.
The don added that the government also needed to provide adequate incentives for people to be encouraged to go into farming, saying “ adequate irrigation system is one of them’’.
