An Agriculturist, Mr. Chijioke Egbo, has urged the public to embrace farming to combat scarcity and the high cost of food in the country.

Egbo, who is a retired palm oil seedlings desk officer, Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture, made the call in an interview with the Newsmen on Thursday in Enugu.

According to him, the call for the public to take up farming is to promote increased food production.

He said that reduction in food production would bring about food insecurity and malnutrition among Nigerians, especially children.

“People can stop doing many things in this time of global pandemic but they cannot stop eating.

“If there is a shortage of food in the land, malnutrition and starvation will definitely set in as well as diseases.

“To avert this outcome, we need efficiency and innovative technology to continue fueling large-scale sustainable agriculture,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the agriculturist added that reduction in food production, food insecurity, and youth unemployment might have characterized the present-day status of the Nigerian economy.

He stressed that the problems of unemployment and food insecurity had been associated with an increase in population without a corresponding increase in agricultural productivity and favorable policies.

Egbo, therefore, called on every citizen to engage in farming activities, no matter the size of their lands as it would help to have food in abundance come next harvesting season.