An agriculture expert, Mr. Ismail Olawale, has commended the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) for inaugurating Soil Testing and Geographic Information System (GIS) Laboratories.
Olawale, a fellow at the National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services (NAERLS), lauded the initiative in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
NAN reports that the minister inaugurated the National Soil Testing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Laboratories on Feb. 14 to ensure food security in the country.
According to him, the launch of the laboratories is the right step in the right direction for the nation’s agriculture sector, adding that effective delivery of services from the laboratories would enhance food security.
“It is a pointer that we actually know we have problems to address in the area of food production and soil management.”
“If the laboratories effectively carry out the purposes for which they were inaugurated, they will increase agricultural productivity of local farmers.”
“Farmers will be able to know what soil is suitable for what crop, they will utilize the information from the laboratories to enhance food production and in the long run enhance food security,” he said.
Olawale, however, called for improvement across the crops’ value-chain to ensure that the nation achieved the desired increase in food productivity.
In addition, he said boosting food security goes beyond soil testing alone but ensures all aspects of food cultivation are carried out adequately.
“Soil testing is like the foundation of ensuring food security and enhanced food production but it does not stop there. Following the soil testing, local farmers should be armed with information that will boost the mineral deposits of the soil.”
“The laboratories should be able to educate farmers on the suitability of each land for which crop. Also enhancing food production goes beyond soil testing but other variables across the entire crop value-chain must be put into consideration to boost food security.”
“We should not stop at soil testing to enhance food security in the country, we should do more. To ensure food security in Nigeria, we also need to improve every aspect of crop production value-chain in terms of affordability and quality,” Adewale added