RSUST Wants Land For Experimental Farm

A technologist at the Riv
ers State University of Science and Technology Nkpolu, Port Harcourt  has called for the provision of more land for use at the institution’s experimental farm.
The technologist who spoke to The Tide, Monday and asked not to be named said the experimental farm was mainly set aside to study the effects of fertilizer on a number of crops.
According to him, the farm which is wholly owned by the institution has been self sustaining over the years.
He said that the experimental farm sells their products after harvest to members of the public as well as staff members.
On the methods used in cultivation, the farm technologist said although manual labour was mostly used, during clearing, tractors come in handy.
“We use tractors for clearing and harrowing” he said.
On some of the challenges facing the farm operations, he said the institution’s he said the institution’s farm needed sponsors from outside to enable it expand and improve production.
He also said that corporate organizations and well meaning individuals were free to sponsor projects in terms of experimentation.
However, efforts to speak with the farm manager of the institution were not successful as he was said to be out on official assignment.
A 300-level student of agriculture Michael Ugwu who spoke to The Tide on the quality of the institution’s farm said the farm was up to date.
According to him, practicals were held on regular basis by students of agriculture in various fields.
He enumerated some of them to include lives stock, Crop, forestry and honey making amongst others.