Proper farming and storage methods should be promoted

Friday, the 30th was World Food Day. President Paul Kagame, in his keynote speech at the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) headquarters in Rome, called upon governments to eliminate hunger, which is still claiming lives. It is a shame that hunger should still be claiming millions with all the technological and social advancements that have been realised so far. Governments should not only inject more funding in agricultural research, but also sensitise farmers on best farming and storage methods. Research should lead to better crop and animal varieties that can resist disease, poor rains and produce more yields. It should lead to discovery of more effective farming tools and methods to ensure greater productivity of given terrains and soil types. This research will be useless if it does not reach the stakeholders, the farmers. Campaigns and sensitisation drives on all research should be carried out to ensure that the farmers apply the necessary technology. Large yields without proper storage will render them useless as they will easily be spoiled or even result in poor prices as the excess will have to be sold off quickly or rot in the gardens. It is time, especially in Africa, that agriculture is seen as an economic activity and not as subsistence livelihood. Farming should not be viewed as a last resort but as a profitable venture that one needs to plan for and invest in expecting profit. With research, informed farmers, proper storage and government goodwill, famine and deaths resulting from hunger should be eliminated if not greatly reduced. Ends