No fewer than 300,000 smallholder farmers have embraced modern techniques of farming to improve crop yield in Niger state.
Dr Godwin Atser, the Country Director, Sasakawa Africa Association Nigeria, said this during a mega field day with farmers in Kampala community of Bosso Local Government Area of the state.
Atser, represented by Dr Abdulhamid Gambo, Deputy Country Director, said the organisation was working to support smallholder farmers in value chain crops in 17 local government areas in the state.
The intervention is under Agra-Niger State Consortium Project tagged “Improving Farmers Resilience and Upscaling Productivity Incomes and Livelihood in Rice, Maize, Soyabean, Cowpea, Onion value chains.
Atser said farmers were being trained on modern method of farming such as use of good quality seeds, spacing and fertiliser application.
“The impact record is impressive as farmers production per hactare have trippled in all value chain with increased income,” he said.
He added that farmers have also been introduced to simple mechanissation like use of planter, fertiliser applicator and other modern tools which were more effective.
Also Dr Dogara Danbaba, Zonal Coordinator of Agra Consortium Project, said the use of modern techniques by farmers had increased production and income of smallholder farmers in the state.
He said smallholder farmers now get 6.5 to 7 tons yield output from rice unlike in the past where they only get 2 to 3 tonnes per hactare while maize output had increased to 3 to 3.5 tonnes compared to 2 tons they barely get in the past.
Abdullahi Musa, a maize farmer, said he had recorded bumper harvest using the modern method of spacing in making ridges planting of crops and fertiliser application.
“For yield crops, ensure 75 centimeters in making ridges, 25 centimetres spacing in planting crops.
“Apply fertiliser 14 days after planting, do not throw it like the old method instead, dig holes inbetween four crops and bury it underground,” he said.
The village Head of Kampala, Alhaji Adamu Zakari, appreciated Sasakawa and Agra for the intervention and linking smallholder farmers to financial institutions.
