One thousand three hundred Kano State farmers received training on measures to adopt in addressing agronomic problems as a way of improving agricultural practices in the state under World Bank’s Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMMING) project.
Speaking to newsmen during the graduation ceremony of the 1300 farmers who have benefitted from the project in Kura Local Government Area of the state, TRIMMING’s agri-business specialist, Malam Hallai Garba, stated that the training would equip farmers with the skills to be able to diagnose and address agronomic problems on their farms at the formative stage before it posed disaster to their crops.
“Farmers were trained on best farming techniques that if put into practice will ensure an increase in yield thereby making the farmers’ economic status elevated. This is something that is being extended not only to Kano State, but to other states as well,” he said.
He added that the training would also ensure the adaptation of best agronomic practices for improved annual productivity, adding that the project was also aimed at effective utilisation of agric extension workers to ease the adaptation of newly introduced techniques.
“The expected farmer ratio to an extension worker today has actually gone beyond what can be considered as tolerable in Nigeria. The recommended rate by World Bank is one extension worker to 30 farmers, but today our extension workers in Nigeria; each of them is attending to 3000 farmers, and we believe that this ratio is not the best,” lamented the expert.
By Richard P. Ngbokai,
Daily Trust News
