Dr Christopher Tufton, Contributor

Tufton - Contributed photo

I am pleased to be associated with the activities to mark farmers' month which is being celebrated in April.

A full-month of celebration for the farmers is a very good move, especially at a time when their production, income and lands are being threatened.

During the past decades, several industries have been developed, some of them at the expense of agriculture. While most of those investments may have been necessary at the time, as a country, we did not pay enough attention to agriculture and rural development.

It is now critical that we give priority to preparing our farmers for the effects of full trade liberalisation. We must fast-track the modernisation of the sector. As the prices of basic foods items continue to increase on the world market, we must position our farmers to satisfy the needs of local consumers to ensure food security.

In keeping with the farmers' month theme, we are committed to empowering our farmers to produce more so that we can "grow what we eat and eat what we grow".

As we celebrate farmers' month, we will continue to give priority to exposing farmers to modern and appropriate technologies, while providing effective extension services and marketing intelligence.