The Executive Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the deployment of science research and ICT tools to production of organic crops by Contec Global Agro Limited (CGAL), holds a great promise for Nigeria to meet its security challenge.
While conducting Obaseki round the research facilities, the Chairman/Founder of the company, Dr. Benoy Berry, said the outfit is committed to setting the pace in organic agriculture based on sustainable modern practices with inclusive community programmes for all categories of Nigerian farmers.
Addressing the media, after the tour, the Governor, excitedly said: “We just realized after this tour, that we have such a secret in Nigeria where so much work has been done with the application of biotechnology for growing food crops a lot more organically and efficiently.
Obaseki, while applauding CGAL for its investment in food security drive, he acknowledged that he is impressed with the facilities that helps farmers identify the various soil types across the country, the various soil remediation and treatment that is devoid of chemicals that will make the soil more productive.
According to him, using tissue culture to identify the types of plants and food crops where you can strengthen or using different scientific methods to make those plants more productive to make sure that they have higher yields is gladdening to note, he said.
On partnership with the company to drive its agricultural policy in Edo State, he said: “We want to start this partnership through piloting because part of the challenges that we have in Nigeria is that we talk and analyse. Sometimes we lament and never get to do things.
“Our strategy in the State is to keep just executing and not just talking. We are here to sign up this partnership and by next week to start a pilot project using cassava and pineapple as Edo State has some of the best crops in Nigeria.
In an earlier remark, the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Thomas Chackunkal, said CGAL is driving organic agricultural revolution across the country through the concept of empowering farmers and producers by providing agro solution and farm inputs, support to the farmers with bio-safe fertilizers and training with the convergence of international farming practices designed to suite the local farming conditions across the country.
He added that it has always being the company’s desire to use its core competence in using science technology for more health enhancing, more nutritious and more productive organic agricultural practices.
