Agri-Tech: Ministry, Stakeholders Unveil New Farming Technique in Kano
AREWA AGENDA – The Kano State Coordinating Office, Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project, APPEALS under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has charged farmers to adopt new Technology in improving farming productivity.
This was stated during a one day expert/stakeholders meeting themed: Social and Behavioral Change Communication for Technology Adoption by Rice, Wheat and Tomato Farmers in Kano, held at the Grand Central Hotel.
The occasion had in attendance farmers from all over the State, Journalists, Academics, Experts, Research Organizations and Institutes.
Speaking during the program, Dr. Nura Ibrahim, Head of the Department of Information and Media Studies, Bayero University Kano charged Journalists to ensure they understand the various Technology and techniques involved in Agricultural Technology in order to use their various mediums to convey it meaningfully to farmers.
Dr. Nura who presented a paper on technology adoption by farmers; towards a sustainable approach, said, “I am advocating for a special meeting between Journalists, Media Managers and other stakeholders in order to plan a mutual and well coordinated communication strategy towards the goal of this project.”
On her part, Dr. Rukayyah Aliyu Yusuf of the Department of Information and Media Studies, Bayero University Kano, who presented a paper on the Media and Public Enlightenment to Improve uptake of the farming technology, said that Nigeria must join in the Tech Trend in order to be self sufficient towards food security.
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She charged Journalists to do human angle stories that would motivate farmers to adopt new technologies in rice, wheat and tomato farming.
“This is a collective responsibility and while communicating these stories, Journalists should emphasise its simplicity and necessity.” She said.
Also, Professor Sani Miko, the Country Director, SAA Global 2000, while speaking on understanding the new technologies and their impact towards productivity enhancement noted that affordability is key to adopting new Technology.
“Whether it’s machinery, fertilizer, hired labour, alot of the farmers may know the tech is good but if it is expensive they will not be able to buy it. So affordability is key,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, APPEALS Project, Kano, Ahmad Abubakar, gave an overview of the program and levels of uptake of the farming Technology by Kano farmers.
“In the value chain, we do not only target the source, but we also target value addition in which case we are talking of production, processing and marketing. We adopt a lot of Technology provided it will change, transform and increase productivity, it is welcome.” Mr. Ahmad said.
He stated that APPEALS working with several research institutes to identify new Technologies and pass it to farmers by grouping them in clusters.
Some of the new technologies currently in use include the Urea Deep Placement Technology, UDP, for improvement of nitrogen fertilization in irrigated rice system, the Urea Super Granules, USG, Rice destoning, milling and packaging equipments, mechanical harvesting and threshing equipments.
The APPEALS project is being conducted with assistance from the World Bank.
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