Improved seedlings excite Zamfara farmers

Farmers in Zamfara State have expressed joy over the introduction of improved seeds, which will support cotton, tomato and pepper production in the state.

For cotton, it is called ‘Mahyco Cotton Hybrid,’ also known as ‘Bollgard 2’, and the newly improved seeds for the tomato are tagged as ‘Suparna’ while that of pepper is known as ‘fire volcano’. 

Speaking during Farmers’ Day in Gusau Local Government Area of the state, dozens of farmers said the introduction of the new seeds would encourage them to return to cotton production.

The farmers said that due to poor cotton seedlings, they shifted their attention to soya beans production.

The market development officer overseeing Zamfara and Katsina states, Yusuf Hamza, said the seeds being introduced in Nigeria had undergone a series of tests and that it resists bollworms and other pests that are destroying cotton on farmlands.

“It gives higher yield and it is resistant to pest, such as bollworms. Up to 3 tonnes could be harvested in one hectare, depending on how well a farmer treats his or her farm,” he added.

The national secretary of the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), Alhaji Hassan Tafida, called on farmers to embrace new techniques, saying that farming activities globally are taking improved shapes using technology.