Expert wants government support for smart-agriculture adoption

A greenhouse farming expert, Mr Chuba Chukwuka, has reiterated the need for government support for the adoption of greenhouse and Climate Smart-Agriculture (CSA) farming in Nigeria.

Chukwuka said this in an interview with the newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos.

Supreme reports that a greenhouse, also called glasshouse, is a building designed for the protection of tender or out-of-season plants against excessive cold or heat.

CSA is an approach that helps guide actions to transform agri-food systems toward green and climate resilient practices.

He said government funding is necessary to enable local farmers set up greenhouses and adopt smart agriculture practices.

“To get local farmers to embrace greenhouse farming and other smart-agriculture practice, we need huge government financial support.

“Greenhouses like other smart-agriculture practices are capital intensive and most local farmers cannot afford it.

“Agriculture requires massive funds which the government needs to channel to support real farmers to set up greenhouses. These things are capital intensive,” he said.

He called for the right channeling of government interventions to local farmers and not to ‘political farmers’.

The expert also called for extension payment period of government loans to farmers to enable them break even.

“If government support is channeled properly, farmers will be able to adopt this smart-agriculture practices and greenhouses especially.

“If there are loans, they also need to give farmers ample time to pay and with reduced interest rates.

“Farming takes a while before you start getting returns from your investment, so they should be given more time,’’ he said.

According to him, the government spends a lot on agriculture but fails to channel it to the right people.

“If we get the resources to fund farmers, I believe they will adopt greenhouse farming system and other smart agriculture practices.

“It is not difficult to locate real farmers, we have been registered with the government agencies but most of these interventions do not get to us,” Chukwuka said.