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Organic farming, solution to abuse of agrochemicals -Experts e!MlO1" of agncutture:. Gideon Adeoye. hu de8crfIxd orglUUC ranntng as a Iype cl fanning t could bo! UIICd to n:d«m the lmItge 01 NI4 genans in the InternaUonal market wh«I we pnKl.t
A,f
a- K'CdIIngs. .treMtng that NOAN as a non_govem4 mental organlnUon has been orgOllslng Iccturea. tr.tntng. racan:h ClOfTUDCI'dalIsUon. . . weD as hdp fannc::n in \I8..I1oWI ways to get a link Wl UI market for
would make Nigertll lo have a smooth trip on her Journq towaTd8 KhteYtng food IleCUltty and povoerty reducUon.
Highlighting Ule vaJ10us opportunJUee which NI-
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our agrto.dturaJ pmduce for aales " He gave this amlce re: 4 cenUy at the Nauonal Iior1cuIlW1ll Rt:8carch insutute (NIJ-tOR'tl lbadan. Oyo State. wbUe wktng on the adYantagc:e of orgame agrtculture and how It can be used to open bualnesa opportunities. as weD as apand both local and Internation al markeUi fOf" agricultural produce..
TIre don expUlned that U" he should be ulcd to gtve 8()fOe panaceu to the Sub-Saharan AIrlc an green ~1Jon eno l food accw1ty challenges. -lhen my Inner YIston and can· dkI opinion would be that W'C ahould adopt orgarue agr1Cullure wbkh would be b&cIted With empcrtcal he stated Profcsaor ~ .ald aU the wasted food producu coukt be tUnKd orgame: for health &ntl commcrdallllaUon an boU. Ioc:aI and tntemauonaJ 11UIket.s. addJng U18t the countJy ill fac:tng emlwTassment In the tntemauonal mar\:et. espedaIly when she WIIn~ to market cash c:rope like ClIXII» !IC.'C'dltngIJ because or tile htgtl Inoel cl peslJclde re8k1ue whldl he .saki many fXJC08 farmnw olto1 use to proce8S and alOft the cash crop before e:xport. TIle presklent 01 the NIgeI1an Organk: AgI1cuJtu~ Network (NOAHI (urtl.a explained that It Is ao em-
evkknca:
barTaMlngthatlargeq,.anutyorcoc:oa~meant
b blternaUona! mark .. t arc: often loaded with cheml4 cal rea6due even abow: tolerant level. adding Utal Utis
tnfonned the regular .dYOCllCY of NOAH agalnAt tile use or ban.ned chcmkuJa to preacnoe and proccM co-
the sales or otpnk:"producta. wh.IJe tile group .. aI:ao hclPlnl rarmmll tn the area cl ~llon. He said there wu no potu! denytng the fact that thepopularandcurrmlchemJcalloledagr1culture:.that tao the currenl system of fanning. III gtvtng room to the abu8e 0( ~ whk:h " putty .............. b catUt health probIc:ms In human&. as It II nouceaI* In the ~ of aome 1Ife-thmlterur:w ~ I&kc aIJIIZr. II!! M:II_ gtvtng room b envtronmcntaI de&radRUon In tire natlon's 1IfVIWlluraI1I)'Sltm. ProIesaor Adeoye.. hoW'CYCr. cncouragcd fanneB to adopt organk fanning and han'leM Ule tnlemauonaJ opportunJtyand support which orprucagrtcullw'e taMi to t#YC the agrtc:u.ItW1ll sector. wtUCb he emphaaJ8ed..
I'm happy, many Nigerians are now embracing farming - Provost. ITA
"T HE
serloua-
ness and com-
Inllmc:nt which
m1Uan ad· tn the
t.
NigcrlIuts are now show· tog b1teresl in theage.long
=~n
by c:mbractng
----""'...... '" The pn:M:l8t. FC'dera1 Col-
.... '" AgJ1<uI<= (FeE,
Poluke Olu .... toytnbo, thi8 In n.dan. reAccord -
In& to ber,
I
the Fedentl Govern ment InlU ated agricultural training
.........."
"'''-
,... .... and
for people who art: interested In Carmtng la actually helpIng to .Umufate the tntemll of many you n g 8chool leaver8 In
........... lannJngand
of the programme Is to make the country lOad aufftdent. as well as dfva5tfy the country's 8OIJI'C'e or 1"C9f:Oue or Incomea. The upert explalned that the government ls ann thai many
."".....,.
rannera. -....-
the prUClMIou In rural areas. art: gt.ltlng dd. UIUS, the gowenunent decided to InlUale a catch· lhemyoung "...gramme to ... enough replacement lor the agetng fanners. Or otuwaloyinbo IIaJd peopk: who are lnwsUng thdr money on other acetora or the economy slo.dd abo dlrect part or such InvClltment Into agI1cuJtun:, adding that If they do, they .tand to p.tn more. ~ Agriculture Is worth pursutna,. bul eome JlC'OPk arc: not a~ cl this ract.. Ew;rybody cannot be autDmObBe dc:aIer-. W'C cannot aD work In tdecommuntcadons or oil companieS. but majority can be Wmen.. You can be an oil compIU1J wor1u:r and be a
.un
the preeeni p . emmenl towarda ~. tural dC\iI.lopthdit. If we continue to show a ICrtous Intemlt In fium!ng .. ~ arc: at pn:senl dotng. _ _ would a n d be _ then Nlgena naUons 01 the wor1d behaw: enough sources to achieve 8ustaln It.caUBC ~
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gertll stand to gain rrom the adopUon of organlc.go rlcullure . Professor Adco}l: said. -we would hue safe food to eat as we won' t be exposed to many oIlhe talked about Ufe- threatcntng dtseues. whtch one can gel from the consumpllon of -ch~llscd roods-. and our (anners would also make better Incomat from the sales 01 organic prod4 ueta. - he emphubed. The don further poe_ !ted thai though UlC.re arc: some chaUengea facing organk agr1c:uIture bl the country today. but. howevcr saJd If thls type of farmlng III made popular by the government . It would booet Nlgerta'. agrlcultural development aDd produce a aolld roadmap for Increased quaUlyand safe food both for IocaJ and tnternauonaJ markets. Ihe knowkdCe ororpntc agtcuJtu~ and lUi populru1ty tn the COUDtJy woukI generate empkJyment roc the youths tlltOUfth the marupuJaUon or the natural envtTortmentlUKlllbundantaffordabkagr1Culturalmalerlals tlull W'CJ'e uauaIJy' regarded as wule.. -Not only thl •. organk: agncu.Jt~ and keen trUaest tn It III targeted towards tunung around the misrortunes of poYaty... tJ'k:km rural rannen tnto proepertly as ~D as Improvtng the health .latus 0I1.he tttmtng populace UltOUfth a healthy eaUng.- lle further saki f'urthennon:. many agrtcullu~ ape:ru have alao 8tressed the need ... an Increa8e In the Icw:J or aW1lTCnesa on sldBll dcvdopment and pracUce In orgaruc agr1cuJtu~. whkh has been dc:sa1bed by many as the panacea 10 the probkm 01 food trlSeCUJ1ty In the conUnent or Alr1ca. For InslanCe. Professor Phil Harrts. the Project CoordJnator of the Centre for Agro-Ecology and food Secunty, Coventory University. United KIngdom (UK). atated thai the p,..cUce of organic farming Is aclually contr1butlng to the development of agnculture: In Afnca. helping to achieve food secunty through the promotlon of natural environment , community coopc:raUOn Old partnerships. as weD a. contnbutlng to educ aUOn and health development and aldlls acqulsltlon Acoord1ng to the don while apeakJr'tg at a workshop on Cun1cuJum Oudoplhellt for Postgraduate Studles In Organic AgJ1culture bl West Mr1ca.. organII!cd by the West AfrtcaI Ndwonl on Orpnk: Agr1cuIture. Re8ean::h and TratntngIWANQARn and hekJ at the FedenU Unl~ty or AfV1culture. Abeokuta. Ogun State, -the practice or orpnIC: awtcuIture trllJ'\<JO!:Ods tire I.J8e of peso. ddea and organle fert1Ibcrw. and aIao Imdvea embark· Ing on posiUYe. sustahlabk management procaa through IU)'CItng 01 resldual btomase as weJI as the U!IC cI bktlogical IbaUon 01 a~ nltrogen. b60kJgtcaJ and cultunll (Dmro! or peat and dbcuc:s.• 'TlIe don abo debunked the mIIIC'oncepUon that Of" g;.ole agJ1cuIture III Ol old fasWoned type or flll'nllng. aaytng. -orpnlc: agr1CUItun: takes the best form or IradttJona1 knoowkdge and pr.ctI!Ie. It also devdops new adenUfk: appn.chcs and spectftc technologrc., - he: . - !ted. 0Ihe0IannJng .. by P'roIieMo.' Han1a tnclude; bdngenvtronmmt &tendIy. safe and sustainable. He: concluded Uwt then: Is a pxI Rl8r4
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hI!II.""
"etb-orgamcpnxtucts.thus~~farm
en to adopt It b- IJIOr'e Jnoome and bod suftIcIcncy