No fewer than 1000 farmers in Kaduna State were exposed to eco-efficient and best agronomic practices as part of the activities of the horticultural week by HortiNigeria.
The farmers, which comprised both men and women, were selected from Kudan, Sabon Gari and Zaria local government areas of Kaduna State and were part of the horticultural week, which took place at the Sustainable Development Goals Partnership (SDGP) learning site at the Faculty of Agriculture Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.
The Horticultural Week also provided an opportunity for the farmers to meet, network and purchase agro-inputs, network with off-takers, see eco-efficient and production technologies in practice and discover the best home gardening practices, watch green manure research in action, visit processors in HortiNigeria, clusters, meet and hear program actors share their stories of change.
Farmers were also allowed to see eco-efficient and production technologies in practice as well as discover the best home gardening practices
Additionally, HortiNigeria intends to work with telecom companies like 9mobile Telecommunications Company to further scale up information on improved farming technology to other farmers who were not primary benefactors of the program’s initiative.
HortiNigeria is a 5-year project funded by the Dutch government and implemented by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
Speaking on the Horticultural week, Mr Makama Danjuma, Agribusiness coordinator, HortiNigeria, said farmers were invited to the learning site to see what one of our consortia has done and expose the farmers to best agricultural practices that will help boost their production.
“We have over 1000 farmers selected from Kudan, Sabon Gari and Zaria LGA of Kaduna State, and we are introducing them to best practices and making them interact with agro-dealers within their locations from whom they can produce improved seeds and have access to quality fertilizer that will boost their production”.
Also speaking, Ibrahim Semiu, one of the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer (EWS-KT) Nigeria staff, said the Horti week showcases farmers with available technology.
“We take them on a tour around different techniques of vegetable production, seedling production, land preparation, right application of fertilizer, pest management and best techniques to adopt to improve yield,” he said.
One of the participants, Muktar Bashir, a tomato farmer from Zaria, said farming in the past was very stressful, but HortiNigeria has helped them to know the best agricultural practices that will boost their production and that visiting the learning site is yet another boost for him.
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