Former Governor of Cross River Donald Duke has urged Federal and State Governments to establish industries that would take farm produce as their raw materials as feed-stock to push agriculture from subsistence level.
Duke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Enugu that, there had been so much awareness on agriculture but that he sector remained low and done at the subsistence level.
“With so much awareness; why or how come success is so minimal?
“The answer is quite simple. Until agriculture is applicable to industry, it will perpetually remain at the subsistence level,’’
“Until our cassava is applied toward industry such as starch production, industrial and pharmaceutical grade, other than just food consumption, our agriculture sector will not be at the expected level desired.
“Our yam production must apply in agricultural industry the way potatoes in the western world have been so applied.
The former governor said that with such policy in place, agriculture would solve the nation’s economic problems and ensure food security, job creation and foreign exchange conservation.
He noted that the recent local investment in tomato paste manufacturing industry would ensure increase in tomato production, better pricing, investment in preservation and huge savings from reduction in foreign imports.