An expert from the Product Development Department of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Rufus Durodoye, has called for the adoption of greenhouse farming to foster the economic and social integration of migrants and refugees, and also enhance food security in Nigeria.
He made this call in Abuja while delivering an online presentation organized by Journalist Go Organic Movement, noting that greenhouse mechanized farming has the potential to transform the agricultural sector of rural Nigeria by achieving food security, increasing incomes, and creating new employment opportunities for migrants, assylum seekers, and refugees.
Journalists Go Organic is a Pan African movement that brings journalists together with organic agriculture and environmental experts to foster an initiative on how to have a healthy nation and a healthy environment.
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Greenhouse farming is a type of farming in which crops are cultivated in a protected and enclosed environment to regulate environmental conditions like the amount of water passed to crops, temperature, and humidity.
It helps farmers cultivate crops that they would ordinarily be unable to cultivate because of the climatic or weather conditions in their locations. It is also used to keep out pests and diseases, leading to improved harvest and production yields due to better management and control of the plant environment.
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Durodoye explained that greenhouses come in various sizes ranging from 5m x 5m, 5m x 10m, 24m x 24m, and 24m x 48m, and that non-availability of land is not an excuse since it can be done in the backyard or balcony.
According to him, the innovation requires small land areas, and with good management of limited resources, one can harvest huge amounts of produce to alleviate hunger and provide a good source of family income.
