The Head of Fruits and Spices Department at the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Dr Sunday Akinyemi, has advised the fruit farmers to conduct risk assessment of new agricultural sites prior to the use of the land. He gave the advice during interview in Ibadan today.
Akinyemi added that soil types should be mapped for the farm and to plan rotation, planting and growing programmes.
He urged fruit farmers to always consider availability and quality of water, pest and diseases as well as weed levels in the area.
The expert also advised fruit farmers to focus on planning and management of fruit farming.
“Regular advice should be sought on how to get access to improved, sustainable fruit production technologies and tools”, he said.
He said fruits were economically important as farmers could reap large yields in small areas and be sold at high prices compared to crops such as maize and groundnuts.
“This means that in heavily populated areas, farmers can make good incomes even from small farms if they can get the principles of production, processing and marketing right”, he stressed. [NIHORT/NAN]
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