Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) that has the national mandate on wheat production in Nigeria had begun training of wheat farmers on new mechanised farming techniques adopted from Egypt.
The new wheat farming method involves the use of a combine planter and ridge making machine aimed at improving wheat production in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Zonal coordinator Technology for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar during the 2019 pre-season training workshop for irrigated wheat and the launching of this year’s wheat farming season organized for wheat farmers by LCRI in collaboration with TAAT, Sasakawa Africa, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and other agricultural development agencies held in Kano.
According to him, the newly adopted techniques would be demonstrated to farmers in some selected farms for the farmers to see the efficacy of the techniques, adding that the techniques adopted from Egypt has the capability of increasing wheat yield per hectare as against what was obtainable using the previous techniques which he said produces little to the farmer.
“This new techniques involve the use of a machine that ridge as well as planting at the same time, this will prevent the damages that usually occur in wheat farms as a result of too much water. We hope with these new techniques, our wheat farmers will be lifted out of their predicaments this season,” he said.
President Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) Alhaji Salim Muhammad stated that, wheat farmers have been operating on lost for quite a long time, adding that, the training on the new adopted techniques would no doubt assist farmers to improve their yield per hectare.
The President also urged authorities to as a matter of urgency ensure that, all interventions meant for wheat farmers reach them in good time.
