An Agriculturist, Mr Wale Olumomi, has charged farmers to embrace nursing of new varieties of oil palm and cocoa seedlings as another means of generating income.
Olumomi gave the charge when he spoke with newsmen in Ido-Ekiti, Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti on Tuesday.
He said that oil palm and cocoa trees nursery business was capable of fetching money for farmers just as the normal farming activities.
The agriculturist noted that most farmers had left palm oil and cocoa seed germination exclusively for agriculture ministries and agencies, saying that it should not be so.
“This makes it sometimes difficult for interested cocoa and palm trees growers to access nursed trees when ready to grow the trees.
“Embracing nursery of these cash crops seedling will make it easier for the growers to have enough to plant apart from generating extra money from the sales of remaining young trees,” he said.
He, however, cautioned farmers to look for right species to nurse so as to avoid nursing old varieties that would take donkey of years before bearing fruits.
He urged interested farmers to seek expert advice from agriculture extension officers and visit Ministry of Agriculture in order to get new varieties of seeds.
Olumomi urged farmers to do more in investing in cash crop trees farming, especially palm oil and cocoa trees, saying that price of cocoa and palm oil in the market had gone beyond the expectations of farmers.
“It is obvious now that farming has become a booming profession that can no longer be neglected and youths should embrace the profession without delay,” he advised.