What Nigerian engineers should do to increase farmers’ productivity – Rector

Prof Philips Nto, the rector of College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, Abia State, has urged Nigerian engineers to get involved in the design and manufacturing of local systems that will assist livestock farmers achieve increased productivity. Nto, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia, said such […]

Prof Philips Nto, the rector of College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, Abia State, has urged Nigerian engineers to get involved in the design and manufacturing of local systems that will assist livestock farmers achieve increased productivity.

Nto, who gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia, said such would also help in the preservation of harvests.

The rector also called on them to help reduce food insecurity in the country by designing and developing relevant agricultural machinery to boost food production.

The former commissioner in Abia State said that robotic milking, leading to precision livestock management, was in vogue in many countries of the world.

According to him, robotics and sensors have been demonstrated to provide improved production within the animal management system.

“We are still talking of open grazing by herders, whereas ranching and all forms of scientific breeding of animals have taken root, even in South Africa and Uganda.

“Can our engineers afford to be complacent and lay back in the face of these changing fortunes of other countries?” he asked.

The rector also identified preservation of crops after harvest as one of the greatest challenges facing Nigerian farmers. He expressed concern that the joy of a farmer was usually cut short after bountiful harvest as the produce usually turns into waste because of lack of an enduring storage system. (NAN)