|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Our Reporter, Lafia
The Nasarawa State Agricultural Development Programme, (NADP), has advised farmers to acquire knowledge and use improved seed varieties to boost crop production.
Umaru Nuhu, NADP Programme Manager, gave this advice in an interview with newsmen in Lafia.
According to him, the advice becomes necessary as the farming season is about to fully commence so as to increase their productivity, thereby enhancing food sufficiency in the state.
Umaru said that as part of the preparation for the wet season farming, varieties of improved seeds like rice, maize, and other farm inputs were available at the NADP office for farmers.
He added that the NADP, having taken cognisance of the climate change challenge, continues to share relevant information and knowledge to farmers, like when and what types of seeds to plant to have high yield.
“Having understood what it means to have food security, we give out information that is beneficial to farmers in the state.
“We usually go to the media to advertise our product to farmers to increase their productivity. We do this through radio programmes and jingles.
“As I speak, we have some improved and reliable seed varieties in our office, we always advise farmers who want to go into production to visit NADP for improved seeds,” he said.
Nuhu urged farmers to desist from buying grains from open markets to plant, noting that they were not from reliable and improved sources hence would not boost productivity.
“Most of the farmers who are planting now don’t have seeds, they have grains they just bought from the open markets, and they cannot have a good yield like improved seeds.
“We believe that if farmers have the right knowledge of planting time and the right seed varieties to plant, they will have good yields,” he said.
Nuhu restated the contribution of NADP to food sufficiency and security in the state and beyond through sheer commitment to technology, knowledge, and information sharing to enhance farmers’ productivity.
He commended the Nasarawa State government under the leadership of Gov. Abdullahi Sule for giving priority and enormous support to the agriculture sector.
The programme manager, however, lamented the myriad of challenges faced by NADP, ranging from the shortage of extension officers to the dilapidated nature of offices, and appealed to the governor to look in that direction.
“The ideal ratio of farmers to extension officers in the farm is 400 to 500 farmers to one agent. But now with the available extension officers we have in the field, an officer is serving 15,000 to 17,000 farmers.
“The essential services that are expected to reach farming communities in good time can hardly be achieved due to the shortage of extension officers.
“We are appealing to the governor to approve the recruitment of officers.
“Our offices need renovation; most of our office equipment and furniture are old.
“We are hoping that when this situation reaches the governor’s table, he will lend a helping hand to improve the well-being of staff and work environment, respectively,” he said.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.