Don Canvasses Training For Students On Agriculture

Worried over the dwindling manpower in the agricultural sector, professor of Crop Science in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) Prof Mike Ogburia has called on the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) to specially evolve a scheme to train indigenes on agriculture abroad.

Prof. Ogburia gave the charge during an exclusive chat with The Tide on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.

He pointed out that the current overseas scholarship being conducted by the state-owned agency falls short of addressing the shortage of manpower in the agricultural sector in the state.

The agricultural expert said though the foreign scholarship being conducted by RSSDA was in the right direction, the agency needs to go a step further by giving prominence to agriculture, which according to him was the mainstay of any economy.

Prof Ogburia said such scholarship should be focused on specialised areas as, plant science, rural sociology and food production, adding that such scheme would attract young people into the sector.

He blamed government and corporate bodies for the low productivity in the agriculture sector due to lack of sponsorship and funding. “As far as ‘I’am concerned they are only paying lip service to agriculture in this country,” the professor said.

One way to boost food production Prof Ogburia suggested for companies to install storage facilities at the local level and farms to preserve agricultural products during their peak seasons, by doing so, he said there would be an all year round availability of crop products.

Frowning at the low grants and research sponsorship by the universities, the university don was of the view that food production will continue to reduce because of none availability of new breeds and techniques.

Currently he disclosed that the state owned university had commenced a special study for producing a special plantain breed, which he said would be made available to the public immediately the tests are concluded.