The agricultural sector is a key player in employment generations and economic development in which the Nigerian economy once enjoyed a huge boom before the shift to oil exploration. However, considering the change in the oil market, economy and the need to meet the food need of the ever-increasing Nigerian population, it is important we embrace diversification and also implement the establishment of Demonstration farms across the nation as it will help speed up the uptake of new transformation models and guarantee sustainable agriculture production.
Demonstration farms are a smart investment which serves as an opportunity to showcase research works, improved plant seeds, review new production techniques, expel the `primitive low yield agricultural practises, teach and fast-track the adoption of game-changing revolutions thus ensuring that farmers learn modernised production techniques and to help solve some of Nigeria’s most persistent challenges. Furthermore, the establishment of demonstration farms will also help farmers carefully observe these techniques over time and guide individual usage.
The sector is faced with challenging factors ranging from droughts, degraded soils, pest and diseases, low crop productivity and lack of technical proficiency, therefore, the need for the establishment of demonstrations farms can’t be overemphasized particularly in Nigeria as it will help revolutionize agricultural productivity if carefully designed.
In addition, setting up demonstration farms to try new technologies or best practices requires funds, time and effort, on this note, it is important that the government play active roles to funding demonstration farms across the nation and challenge the various research institutions to work. God bless Nigeria