A lecturer in the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr Olabode Badiru, has called on the government to pay more attention to food security in the country to solve the rising cost of foods.

According to Dr Badiru, farmers need fertiliser and other agrochemicals like pesticides. Insecticides and others to solve the problem of pests. All of these will cost much money. Besides that, we have the problem of insecurity that farmers are being chased away from the farm.

Dr Badiru also called on the government to address insecurity, saying farmers are afraid of going to farm. He, who gave the advice while speaking with journalists in Ibadan, urged individuals to embrace backyard farming to reduce the spending on some food items. Most of the farm machines and chemicals used by farmers are all imported, he emphasised that these may have effects on what they will produce.

Reducing the rising cost of food requires some efforts from individuals and the government at all levels, he advised, and at the individual level, backyard farming could help to re-duce the need for purchase of food. He advised Nigerians to grow vegetables and other eatable plants, raise small animals like sheep and goats and raise domestic animals in their houses. Beyond the backyards, he also said youths should be encouraged to go into farming despite the challenges involved.

The government at all levels, especially the states, must provide an enabling environment for willing citizens to engage in agriculture. Security is the key. Basic facilities, such as road and electricity, should be improved. We can start by pushing practical research products to the farms for adoption to strengthen farm productivity through a functional agricultural extension system. “Essentially, we must look for innovative ways of bringing the unit cost of agricultural production down, among other measures,” he said.

【小题1】What causes food prices to rise according to Dr Badiru?

A．High cost and insecurity.	B．Cold and heavy snow.
C．Strong wind and pests.	D．War and flooding.

【小题2】What does the underlined word “embrace” mean in paragraph3?

A．Catch.

B．Emerge.

C．Hold.

D．Accept.

【小题3】What is Dr Badiru’s attitude towards the current agricultural production environment?

A．Dissatisfied .

B．Optimistic.

C．Uninterested.

D．Unclear.

【小题4】Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．How to adjust food production	B．Problems caused by rising food prices
C．How to solve rising cost of food items	D．Suggestions on improving food production