Date: 2016-10-02

The Acting Director of National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Ilorin, Dr. Yomi Kasali, has urged members and staff of the institute to allow the changed policy of the Federal Government to commence with them.

Addressing workers at a special retreat in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, he said, as an agricultural institute established for support services in the area of agricultural mechanisation, they must give adequate support to the change policy of the Federal Government.

"Let those employed to fabricate or design tools and machines rise up to the challenges in their chosen fields. Although we have designed countless number of machines and tools for rice harvesting, processing and packaging, we can still improve on these, considering the new drive for local consumption of the staple food in Nigeria.

"The same pleas go to our engineers and fabricators who have done marvellously well in the areas of cassava harvesting and processing, to break new grounds, in order to boost the Gross National Products (GDP) of a new Nigeria of today."

The NCAM boss, while lauding the vision of the founding fathers of the institute, "the only one of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa," thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for opting for agriculture after a sharp decline in the sales and proceeds of oil in the global market, the mono product that had over the years sustained the nation's economy.

Besides, he commended the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Audu Ogbeh "who since his assumption of office" has not hidden his love for agricultural mechanisation.

Kasali, while ruing inadequate exploration of the inherent potentials at NCAM by many states and local governments, canvassed sponsorship of more agricultural extension staff for training in modern farming techniques at the institute.