By Kehinde Oluwatayo
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The need for government to support and encourage youths to take over agriculture from the aging population of farmers has been stressed.

    Advisory Services Specialist, National FADAMA Office, Mr Abduraman Balarabe who was in Akure to render technical advice and support to FADAMA at the state level said the aging population of farmers in the country has to be replaced.

     According to him, the younger generation of farmers must take up agriculture as a business to make it attractive.

     Balarabe who said Nigeria may not be able to feed her populace if youths are not encouraged to take up agriculture as a business noted that the use of modern technology will also attract them.

     He said the youth can not continue to till the soil year in year out like the old farmers hence the need for ICT based agriculture.

    According to him, ICT based agriculture will result in higher yield and higher income and will  be  interesting and attractive to the youth.

     While saying that they need to be trained on the use of these technologies, Balarabe noted that younger generation of farmers need to be well educated to be able to take up agriculture as a business.

     “Youths being who they are, are restless and need something that will keep them busy. For them to be in this business they need to be well educated, well capacitated for them to be able to uptake it so that they will know that farming is not just a way of life but a business like any other business and that if they do it well, they will reap the benefit”, he said.

    Speaking on what FADAMA is doing in ensuring the youths are trained on the use of technologies in agriculture, Balarabe said “first of all, we are trying to bring in the youths and we have simple mechanised technologies we are introducing to them that make farming easier.

   “Although we are not there yet in the area technology, we have started and that is the most important thing” he said

   He called on youths to embrace agriculture adding that the only business that can survive, sustain and remain year in year out is agriculture.

   He added that whoever does it right will reap the benefits without too much stress.