Expert urges farmers to embrace information technology

By Kehinde Oluwatayo
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Farmers in Nigeria have been advised to embrace information technology as a way of improving their vocation and boost their yield.

An agriculturist, Mr Oluwaseun Taiwo who gave the advice in an interview with The Hope, in Akure stated that farmers stand to benefit a lot when they are informed.According to him, there are lots of information on the internet with which farmers can equip themselves to boost farming activities which can be done on their phones.

He said access to improved seedlings that have been worked on in the laboratory with high yield which are not prone to disasters, can be gotten through information technology.

Taiwo, a graduate of Agricultural Economics and Extension said they can link market, know the weather situation, have access to right agro chemicals among others through information

He said many losses would have been avoided if farmers have the right information.

“Most losses that are being recorded as a result of lack of market or natural disasters can be avoided if they have access to information. So information is key if they will improve in their farming activities”.While saying farmers need some level of education to be able to access this information, he noted that most real farmers are not literate which is why access to information is moving at a very slow pace.

He called on farmers’ associations and those who are educated among them to convey information to them through radio and do it in their dialect.

According to him, conveying the message in their dialect and doing it through radio is one of the most easiest and effective media platforms in reaching them since they can listen to it with their small phones.

He urged government to do the needful by assisting farmers with loans saying agriculture is capital intensive and most people who would have loved to go into it cannot afford it.

  According to him, government in developed nation’s invest hugely in agriculture, sign strong MoU with farmers, offtake whatever they produce, give them loans to produce again.

To further prevent losses, Taiwo suggested that government should convey farm produce through cargo flight from one domestic airport to another in state capitals of the country.

 He added that a lot of losses are recorded in the course of transporting through roads and that most farmers can not move their produce to the market as a result of lack of fund.