A research-based organisation, CropLife Nigeria, an advocate of crop protection, and Extension Africa, has unveiled a programme to train Nigerian farmers in good agricultural practices.

President of Crop-life Nigeria, David Achimugu, disclosed this on the sidelines of the inauguration of the training, tagged, “Safe farming and sustainable future.’’

He said that the training would encourage safer farming practices, mitigate climate change impact, and promote environmental protection.

Mr Achimugu affirmed that the event was aimed at unlocking the opportunities in sustainable agriculture through training of farm extension agents.

According to him, the partnership between CropLife and EXAF, a research-based agro-tech platform that provides private extension services to value chain actors, has a focus to build the capacity of farmers and business associates for smart, viable, and climate-friendly crop protection practices in Nigeria.

He said the pilot phase of the training would involve Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa states.

Mr Achimugu who stressed the need to adopt best practices in farming, said the training would provide the conducive setting for best practice.

“It is not only in sharing experiences but also in relationship-building between experts from the partnering organisations, progressive farmers, and institutions with agricultural and/or regulatory mandates, across the country and around the world. Interestingly, the programme will feature interactive panel discussions, focusing on how the agricultural innovations in recent times could be adopted to revolutionise the way we farm, positively increasing our national agricultural productivity, food safety and security,” he said.

Mr Achimugu stated that while CropLife Nigeria represents the plant science industry and bio-technologies, most especially the crop protection sector which included conventional pesticides, bio-pesticides and plant technology, Extension Africa represents the agro-tech extension services industry seeking to build the capacity of value chain actors in the agricultural sector.

Also, speaking, Director Of Stewardship, Crop Life Africa and Middle East, Ibrahim Traore, said  sustainable crop production had become attractive especially for the small holder farmers.

“They will be exposed to skills of integrated pest management (IPM) which removes excessive drudgery and the high risk of yield loss from a stack of weeds, insects and diseases. The current unpredictable pattern of rainfall (climate change) occasioned by global warming also calls for adoption of smart technologies in agriculture and that is a major focus on this project too,” he said.

Mr Traore emphasised that to make farming sustainable, it is important to find several methods that can improve the income of  African farmers to enable them to work and lead  a dignified life.

He urged farmers to increase their technical skills and adopt best practices in their operations, while paying due attention to the impact of climate change on agriculture and the environment.

Also speaking, Gloria Iboroma, from the Agricultural Extension Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, applauded the partnership between the organisers of the training and described it as a laudable initiative.

She said, “The Safe Farming and Sustainable Future project aligns with our vision for sustainable agriculture. By adopting eco-friendly methods, farmers can mitigate the impact of climate changes, ensure biodiversity, and promote environmental stewardship.’’

She, therefore, urged farmers to seize the opportunity to acquire new skills and knowledge.

“Your participation will contribute significantly to Nigeria’s agricultural growth and development,” she added.

 (NAN)