Afe Babalola want mechanized farming introduced and compulsory in all schools

In a bid to further boost the ongoing economic diversification efforts of the country and to encourage agriculture among students, ABUAD founder and legal Icon, Aare Afe Babalola has called on governments to introduce and compulsory mechanized farming in all primary schools, secondary schools and higher institutions across the country.

Proprietor, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, who currently own the largest farm in Ekiti state, and beyond made the call at the opening of a weeklong annual “Afe Babalola Agricultural Expo” , (ABA-EX), taking place at the University campus.

ABA-EX, which was introduced by Babalola three years ago is an annual event in which the farmers are encouraged to enlist for participation and display their farm products for all to see.

The best farmer in each of the 16 local governments is usually given a cash reward of N250,000, while the overall best farmer in the state smiles home with cash award of N1m, all totalling N5m.

Aare Babalola said he specifically introduced the programme to support the “Go -back-to-farm” crusade of governments and as a way to uplift poor farmers into reckoning.

He attributed the high rate at which old men and women are leaving the farms in preference for urban life to lack of modern farm tools, saying any nation that wished to make headway in agriculture nowadays must not rely only on the old conventional use of the cutlass and hoe, but mechanized agriculture.

Aare Babalola however noted, a situation where no student wants to study or adopt agriculture as a career or vocation again because no graduate wants to leave the university only to return to the farm, using only the cutlass and the hoe, hence the need to encourage mechanized farming and introduce it to the students right from primary school level.

“If indeed we want to make farming attractive again, governments are advised to introduce mechanized farming in schools so as to attract the young children

“Nobody even wants his children to adopt or take up agriculture as a career after they might have been trained in various disciplines,up to the university

level because of the way and mannet agriculture is still being practicef in our part of the world

“Adopting mevhanized methods will thetefore change the tide and make them feel a sense of dignity and they will be happy to be a proud farmer, he said.

In his welcome address on the occassion, the Chairman, Local Organizing Committeee of the 2017 edition, Prof. Adeolu Durotoye disclosed that his committee visited 121 farms in 51 villages to discover farmers that were qualified to participate in the exhibition.

According to him, a total of 150 forms were issued out to able farmers, but said only 451 forms were returned.

Also, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr.Kehinde Odebunmi said government was proud of chief Afe Babalola’s plilanthropy and urged other stakrholdets to emulate his patrotic gestures at making agriculture regain its lost glory.

Declaring the event open, the state govetnor, Ayo Fayose, represented by his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola , described Babalola as the largest employer of labour in the state after the state government.

While acknowledging the legal icon for his commendable efforts at ensuring food production and promotion of agriculture, the Governor who described Aare Babalola as the greatest farmer and highest tax payer in the state, urged other well-meaning individuals to emulate him in his efforts which he said has not only been helping the goverment in combating the scurge of unemployment ravaging the country, but has also gone a long to to ensure economic diversification.

By Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti