Making farmers ICT-complaint

Date: 2021-04-21

There are efforts by the government at all levels to train farmers on the use of appropriate technologies for the production and processing of produce to make them better, DANIEL ESSIET of The Nation  reports.

One dream of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Nanono, is to help farmers explore opportunities in domestic and international markets.This requires teaching them how to use high-yielding seeds, irrigation, harvest, packaging and storage.

To this end, the Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) were set up to share best practices and train farmers. While the ADPs are driving this, the government said modern agricultural extension services are about designing and communicating better technology packages to farmers, and encouraging innovation and creativity.

Consequently, the federal and state governments are creating platforms to put farmers in touch with other actors in the agri-food system, and facilitating learning and innovation. To further this cause, the government is enhancing the public-private partnership in agricultural extension and advisory services.

This has opened the door to a deal between the Kwara State Government and Bayer Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, Germany, which emphasises the importance of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in agricultural extension.

This year, the state government has unveiled a 10-year agricultural plan to make the state self-sufficient by 2030. The plan will address the agricultural value chain, create job opportunities, and alleviate poverty.

The government has prioritised mechanisation and the adoption of innovative technologies.

On the other hand, Bayer has underlined the sector’s important role in reducing food imports and increasing self-sufficiency, which are necessary for food security.

For several decades, the company  has funded   research and innovation initiatives in teaching the next generation of farmers and sector officials modernised methods, with the hope that these technologies will in time trickle down to the small-scale farmers.

Kwara State Agricultural Development Project (Kwara ADP) and Bayer have  trained 75 agric extension officers and 75 neutral farms in the state.

The training was on rice, maize, cassava and pesticide use. Although many farmers use agric chemicals to control pest and diseases, these days, many haven’t been properly trained on application practices. As a result, these chemicals have a high chance of contaminating water supplies.

Yahaya Bello, a smallholder farmer from Oke-Oyi in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State was one of those benefited from the ADP programme in Ilorin. He said he cultivates maize, guinea corn and rice on his farm at Gamiki, Zango area in Ilorin.

Like other farmers, Bello had looked forward to learning a new technology  that will help him prepare and cultivate the soil, and  increase yields at the same time.

Bello, who got money for his business from his cooperative, added that his farming is carried out manually as he does not have a machine or have the technical know-how to do it. “This training has helped me a lot in my farming business,” he said.

Ahmed Idowu, an extension officer, Kwara ADP, who was part of the training, said the use of various products of Bayer was demonstrated to them and the compatibility of the product on each crop. He said: “We were shown pictures where Bayer’s products have been used and actually, the result was very good.”

He said they had gone on outreach and had visited many farmers on their farms.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hajia Maryam Nurudeen; representative of Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing system for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), directors of Agriculture and Rural Development ministry attended.

Southwest Sales Manager, Bayer, Mr Adeyemi Adeyemo, said the training,, which held  in various electoral districts, has been divided into two batches because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On whether there is a further action to embark, he said a contract would be considered to enable them to become the sole distributor of Bayer products in the state.

“We are going to do a contract with them so they will become a distributor in Kwara State for Bayer Nigeria.”

Source

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Salman Alada     Yusuf Mubarak     Christian Association Of Nigeria     Elekoyangan     Musa Aibinu     Kola Adesina     National Information Technology Development Agency     Y.A. Abdulkareem     Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment     Javed Khan     Abubakar Atiku     Susan Modupe Oluwole     Oluwatoyin Lukman     Eleja     Bamidele Aluko     Oasis Muslim Care Foundation     Amina El-Imam     Yakub Lai Gobir     Fatimat Saliu     Abubakar Lah     Makama     Mutawali     Tinubu     Nagode     Isiaka Rafiu Mope     Baba Isale     Solomon Edojah     Olokoba Sulyman     Mohammed Katsina Ahmed     Ilorin South Constituency     JSSCE     Ethical College     Summit University     National Association Of Nigerian Students     Raliat Islamic Foundation     AbdulGaniyu Kareem     Yusuf Aiyedun     Isapa     Sarakite     Halidu Danbaba     Haliru Yahaya     TIIDELab     Issa Memunat Moyosore     Saliu Alamoyo     Convocation Ceremonies     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Obasanjo     Bayo Onimago     NSCIA     Hamid Bobboyi     Gbugbu International Market     Mahmud Durosinlohun Atiku     Ajakaye     Sa\'adu Gambari     Oko-Erin     Afetu Of Alabe     Mohammed Halidu     Baba Issa Awoye     Alimi     Katibi Ibraheem Adeola     AGILE Programme     UITH     Students Union Government     Aminu Ado Bayero     Moji Makanjuola     Arandun     ASMAU PLAZA     Olabimpe Olani     Kwara 2023     AbdulRasaq Abdulmajeed Alaro     Kubra Kazum     Oba Abdulkadir La\'aro     Bluenile Associates     Kola Shittu     Odolaye Aremu     Idowu Laro     Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Akorede     Oko-Olowo     Mashood Dauda     Aishatu Ahmed Gobir     Nigerian Army     Raliat AbdulRazaq     Abubakar Usman Jos     Galadima     Sunset Workers     Alabe     Funmilayo Zubair     Taiwo Joseph     Rachael Obisesan     S.O. Opowoye     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     Bayo Onimago     Olusegun Adeniyi     Yakub Ali-Agan     Kishira     Wahab Agbaje     Erubu     Donatus Ejidike     Congress For National Consensus     Www.Kwarareports.com     Adisa Logun     Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy And Development     Abdulkadir Jimoh     Issa Manzuma     Abdulwahab Oba     Ibrahim Abdullahi     Olayinka Are     Rafiu Ibrahim     LAK Jimoh     KWACOBPA     QuickWin     Owo Arugbo     Ayo Opadokun     Ekweremadu     AGM Professional Services     Offa Metropolitan Club     Gbemisola Saraki     Shuaib Olarongbe     Baaziki Sulaiman     Ahman Pategi     Abubakar Lah     UTME     Bolakale Ayo     Oke-Ogun     Radio Kwara     Mutawalle     IsDB     Ibrahim Oniye     Ilorin Likeminds Foundation     Ilorin Water Reticulation     Nurudeen Mohammed     Y.A. Abdulkareem     Atiku     Belgore     Sidikat Akaje     Unicontinental Construction Company     Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye     Bashir Badawi     David Adesina     Ilorin Innovation Hub     Oro Grammar School Old Students Association     Shuaib Abdulkadir     Clement Yomi Adeboye     Bamidele Aluko     Kwara-SAPZ Project     AGILE Programme     KwaraLearn     Muyiwa Oladipo Kanu     Shaykh Luqman Jimoh     Sa\'adu Gambari     Abdulrasheed Na\'Allah     Toyin Sanusi     Ijagbo Health Centre