By Shalom  Olaleye

Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has commissioned a 400sq metre Greenhouse, solar borehole and solar dryer at the Federal College of Agriculture (FECA) in Akure.

This is just as the institution has solicited for more funding to facilitate agricultural development.

Commissioning the projects at the weekend, the Ondo state Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Tony Otuonye said the Greenhouse project would improve the food security in the state, while the solar borehole is to assist the students in their practical experiments and sustain them in the hostels.

Otuonye who expressed satisfaction over what he observed at the college community, charged the institution to keep maintaining the projects facilitated by the FMARD and to put more effort to uplift and make full utilisation of the project which could facilitate more.

“If the facilities and equipment in the college can be judiciously used it will help facilitate food production and sufficiency to further complement government efforts,” Otuonye stated.

Earlier, the College Provost, Dr Akinyemi Fadiyimu, appreciated the ministry for the projects, declaring that the Greenhouse would generate revenue for the school.

He noted that the training programmes of the school would be improved, if more of the facilities are located within the college.

“As an institution that is known to have trained and continued to train future farmers, we need more of these facilities to be located in the college because we will be able to show our students and get them involved practically,” he said.

Fadiyimu called for more funding for the agricultural sector, saying there should be massive investment in agricultural mechanisation and training.

Head of Department, Horticultural Technology, Mr Oluwafemi Ojo, who also spoke, said the Greenhouse would be used to carry out experiments, which has to do with protected cultivation and commercial purpose.

“With the Greenhouse, we will grow at least four sections of crops like tomato, cucumber and red pepper, twice in a year”, he said.