Agency Seeks Strategies For Crops Diseases Control

The Nasarawa
State  Agricultural Development Programme (NADP), has urged agricultural extension officers to initiate strategies that will address the challenges of diseases of crops and animal production in the country.
The acting Programme Manager, Mr Stephen Kpama, made the call recently at the Technology Review Meeting of the programme in Panda, Karu Local Government Area of the state.
He said the call had become necessary considering the importance of crops and animal production to the well-being of individuals and socio-economic development of the country.
Kpama said the importance of crops and animal production could not be over-emphasised.
“As a result, there is the need to adopt innovative strategies to control their diseases for optimum productivity.
“Apart from serving as a source of food, meat and raw materials to our local industries, they are also sources of foreign exchange.’’
Kpama said both not only generate revenue to farmers and the government but also improve the standard of living of people in the country.
“I urge extension workers not only in the state but in the country at large to intensify efforts to adopt innovative strategies.
“The strategies should be aimed towards educating farmers on the dangers of diseases to crops and animals.”
“So, there is the need for extension workers to educate farmers on such challenges considering their implication to national development.
“When farmers adopt innovative strategies to control these challenges, food insecurity, poverty, hunger, among others will be a thing of the past in the country,’’ he said.