Concern as melon farmers enter harvest season

Rural farmers are harvesting the melons in their farms but what bothers me most is the area of processing the produce as well as the crude methodology that the farmers are using in doing this, which is very tedious and cumbersome. This method cannot, in any way, be used for large-scale cultivation as well as […]

Rural farmers are harvesting the melons in their farms but what bothers me most is the area of processing the produce as well as the crude methodology that the farmers are using in doing this, which is very tedious and cumbersome.
This method cannot, in any way, be used for large-scale cultivation as well as harvesting the produce.
My concern is also in the areas of harvesting, processing, transportation, preservation, marketing and handing of the produce on the farms and the poor sanitation at places where the melons are left on the field, where they later rot away.
Also of concern is the issue of sun-drying the melon.
One can’t help but ask if there is no technology yet to address some of these problems and, what are the ministries of Science and Technology and that of agriculture doing to bring in some of these technologies and solve some of these problems.
Michael Adedotun is the Founder of Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation, Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory.