The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, has said lack of irrigation is hindering all-round-farming in the southern part of the country.
Umakhihe stated this in Benin when the Edo State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) made him the grand patron of the association as well as conferred on him the Great Achiever award in Benin City.
According to him, all-round-farming activities succeeded in the northern part of the country following the adoption of irrigation system but there is no irrigation system in the south.
"Farming can be done all year round in the country. All that is needed is irrigation facility.
"All that is required is water and in the South, we have a lot of water bodies, good climatic conditions and fertile arable land.
"Once there is irrigation system, every crop would do well and all year round farming would be possible in the South and would get good harvest."
The permanent secretary also called for mechanized farming, saying the days when farming activities were done solely with hoe and cutlasses are gone.
He said with mechanized farming, a lot of jobs can be provided for youths.
While pledging to continuously support farmers in the state to increase food production, he explained that several agricultural intervention programmes have been carried out to support farmers in the state.
He listed some of the programmes to include rural road construction, street lighting, and empowerment for farmers and youths among others.
Earlier, the chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Edo State Chapter, Bako Dogwo, said the association conferred the Grand Patron and Great Achievers award on the permanent secretary due to his contribution to the agricultural development in the country especially in the state.
"The federal government's commitment to supporting farmers in Edo State is commendable. The interventions put in place to support farmers and increase food production are necessary steps towards ensuring food security in the country.
"The use of irrigation farming and mechanized farming can help increase food production and empower the youths to take up farming," he said.
