The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has entered into a partnership with some farms and universities to enhance food production in line with the President’s agenda to make Nigeria food secure.
This initiative was disclosed in a statement by the Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Ikonne said that the partnership was to improve sustainable domestic food supply in accordance with the President’s declaration of a state of emergency on agriculture.
” NALDA entered into a partnership with Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
“This partnership is already yielding positive results through increased maize production and attraction of PhD students.
“The result of a 60-acre maize farm which has not been harvested, motivated the university to request more diversification into the livestock production industry, especially to revamp its 3000-broiler production crumbling facilities on campus.”
Also, Prof. Samuel Babarinde, Dean of the university’s faculty of Agricultural Sciences, commended NALDA for the partnership with the university.
He said” the partnership is very fruitful and promising,” adding “we started with maize as the major crop, and we look forward to possible enlargement of that partnership in the future.”
As part of the collaboration, the university released 60 acres of land for farming and the labour force needed for cultivation utilising its 400-level students on internship programme.
NALDA supplied all the necessary equipment, including tractors, harrows, boom sprayers, planters, harvesters, and maize shellers, including fertilisers, seeds, and agrochemicals for the production process.
Babarinde described the relationship as “graciously timely,” noting that without it, the institution’s 400-level students would not have had access to such agricultural mechanisation during their practical year.
“If NALDA had not come, we may not have had a farm of this size in our university for such research,” he said. By Bukola Adewumi(NAN)
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