We’ve played an enormous role in agric development, says Agric Engineers

The national chairman, Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE), Engr. (Prof) Folarin Alonge has said that his members have positively impacted in the development of food security and environmental safety of the country through the use of engineering knowledge to save over 200 million people.

Engr. Prof. Folarin Alonge disclosed this to Food Farm News in an exclusive interview at the fellowship induction and public lecture held in Abuja on November 11, 2022, for new fellowship awardees of the NIAE fellowship members.

Alonge stressed the role Nigerian agricultural engineers have played in the development of Agriculture in the country as very enormous towards food security and other environmental safety, adding that some of its members are working in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on how to mitigate flood challenges through right canals for control and mitigation.

The national chairman said that NIAE has helped in producing simple machines and equipment to remove drudgery on food productivity, just as we have been constantly training farmers on the use of these technologies in order to enhance their production along all the value chains, saying that      ‘‘We have developed machines, we have provided training capacity for farmers as transfer of new innovations and extension services as well’’

He emphasized the need for government to plan ahead against flood incidences saying there is a need to take flood warnings very seriously saying  ‘‘we need to take note of those warnings and do the needful. We have to be proactive, not being reactive. We need to build more dams and more rivers must be dredged for free coastal flow’’.