A Professor of Animal Nutrition and Biochemistry at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, Dr. Adegbenro Henry Akinmutimi has counseled the Federal Government on how to ensure availability of food in the country.

Adegbenro who said this while delivering the university’s 44th inaugural lecture titled: “Feed For Animals And Animal Products For Human Development And Sustainability, “ noted that a nation that cannot feed the citizenry stands insecure.

He advised the Federal Government to encourage more research on the use of agricultural wastes, weeds, legumes as alternative feeding stuff, thereby making animal protein available and affordable.

The Don added that government should encourage the idea of producing “what you eat and eat what you produce,” provide support for Research Institutes, universities or agriculture-related institutions to embark on mass production of broilers, turkey and other poultry, to reduce money spent on the importation of the products.

He expressed the need for lecturers, teachers, and students of agriculture to practice what they teach in a class by having farms of their own.

“The Federal Government should through the National Universities Commission (NUC), review the agricultural curriculum to accommodate students’ practical encounter with livestock and poultry, starting from year two, so that by the time they get to the practical year proper, they would have mastered the skills they need to practice on their own, after graduation.”
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