By Idris Umar, Zaria The Director of the Division of Colleges of Agriculture (DAC) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. B.A. Babaji, h...
By Idris Umar, Zaria
The Director of the Division of Colleges of Agriculture (DAC) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. B.A. Babaji, has highlighted horticulture as one of the largest sectors within crop-based agriculture, hosting the greatest variety of crops, including fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals.
Prof. Babaji made this statement at the 42nd Conference of the Horticultural Society of Nigeria, held on Monday at the Balarabe Tanimu Conference Hall, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR).
He explained that horticultural crops can be categorized into groups such as medicinal, aromatic, herbaceous, spices, and beverages, all of which play essential roles in providing food, feed, medicine, fiber, and shelter to humans and animals.
Prof. Babaji noted that the conference theme, "Strategic Roles of Research Innovation and Extension in Strengthening National Horticultural Technology for Sustainable Food Production," is both apt and timely, given the ongoing national and global food crises.
He further attributed these crises to inflation in food prices, driven by high agricultural input costs, natural and man-made disasters—including climate change—and inconsistent government policies.
"I am strongly convinced that the topics of the keynote address, lead papers, and other technical papers to be presented during this conference will offer solutions to this looming crisis," he said.
Prof. Babaji also discussed the impact of global warming and climate change on agriculture and the environment, which he said poses a severe threat to human existence. He emphasized that scientists worldwide are aware of these challenges and are actively working to mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture and the environment.
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