Listen Live
By Mala Abdulazeez.
Over 500 farmers trained on seeds production and pest control have called for more support from government, and other developmental partners in the agricultural sector, in Yobe State.
The call was made during a program named ‘Green Field Day’ which exhibited to farmers the differences within the varieties of crops distributed to seeds producers, funded by Feed The Future Initiative, the United States Agency for International Development USAID and Implemented by International Institute for Tropical Agriculture IITA, and International Crop Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics ICRISAT.
The program lead of IITA Mr Joseph Abikoye said the community based seeds production program, has provided varieties of crops to seeds producers, which are resistant to heat, pest,diseases and early maturing.
The program which was extended to Yobe and Gombe States in 2023 has been in existence in Adamawa and Borno States since 2019.
Country Representatives ICRISA, Dr Angarawai Ignitius, represented by Mr Jerom Jonah emphasized on the needs to put more effort in farming via climate smart agriculture to avert from hunger and food shortage.
He called on farmers in the country to inculcate the habit of using mechanized methods of farming as the state alone contributes about 47% of the sorghum consumed in the country
Some of the beneficiaries of the program thanked USAID and its developmental partners for their support and cooperation to the farmers for providing to them qualitative seeds, particularly now that farmers are disturbed with the shortage of rain, global warming and the presence of pest
Other farmers who highlighted some of the problems experienced said there’s a need for government and other developmental partners to provide fertilizer to farmers at a subsidized rate.
The program which took place in Potiskum, Fika and Nangere Local government Areas had in the past distributed seeds to farmers which included sorghum, millet, rice and cowpea.
