As demand for food consumption is increasing on daily basis, agriculture experts have expressed diverse opinions on the use of chemicals to grow food crops.
Speaking with Radio Nigeria in Ado-Ekiti, an agriculture communication consultant, Mr. Yomi Ogunrinde said increasing demand for food due to growing population necessitated the use of agro-chemicals such as fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide.
Mr. Ogunrinde noted that if properly administered agro-chemicals would not damage the soil nutrients, neither would it lead to terminal diseases, stressing that crops sprayed with chemicals were good for consumption after two weeks.
He noted that World Health Organization as well as United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization often certify agro-chemicals needed for food production to avert damages to human health.
On his part, an organic agriculture advocate, Mr. Lawrence Ige stressed that growing crops without the use of chemicals would prevent Nigerians from contracting terminal diseases.
Mr. Ige noted that organic farming is cheaper, with no side effects to the consumers, hence the need for Nigerians to consume naturally planted crops.
He emphasized that organic farming is not tedious as speculated in some quarters, but a means of using extracts from neem, wood ashes and chilly pepper to control pests as well as using animal faeces, urine and decay plants as fertilizer.
However, both Mr. Ogunrinde and Mr. Ige called on government at various levels to subsidize prices of farm machineries such as tractors, planters, harvesters and improved seeds for Nigerian farmers to meet the food demand of the country.
BY: LANRE OMOTOSO
