An efficient agricultural sector enables a country to feed itself, immensely contributes to development, guarantees food security and severely reduces poverty, especially in the rural areas.
Though, dominated by smallholder farmers, with numerous challenges, agriculture remains the mainstay and provides means of livelihood for the majority in Nigeria. This ancient profession has drastically evolved and advanced, primarily as a result of scientific research and development of technologies that can enhance farmers’ productivity and efficiency.
The level of agricultural productivity is, therefore, dependent on how much of improved technology is transferred to farmers and adopted in their farming practices.
Diffusion of knowledge, on the other hand, may take some time, considering the fact that farmers, naturally, would want to adhere to their old traditional practices.
Technology has led to increase in output and improved lives. Some farmers who have had the privilege of knowledge transfer have closed gaps between the output attainable through the use of modern technology and otherwise.
Information on new technology, better farming practices and management can effectively be transmitted to farmers. Extension and advisory services in the past were provided by extension agents of the agricultural development projects (ADPs).
Unfortunately, this much needed service has declined, leading to current challenges experienced in the sector. The number of extension agents has become highly decimated. Extension officer ratio to farmer in some areas is as much as 1 to 3, 000 or more, as against a recommended maximum of 1 to 200.
In the face of dwindling government resources and limited oil revenues, government is unlikely to engage sufficient extension hands and those available are gradually ageing, exposed to limited retraining and not abreast with new, latest technology. Even if governments were able to engage more extension workers, the operational costs that will be required for them to regularly pay visit to educate farmers will be prohibitive.
Undoubtedly, extension service provides immense benefits in the agricultural sector. Among the benefits are: introduction of new technology to farmers, giving farmers the opportunity to improve production and protect the environment through innovations, facilitate access to inputs and point the direction to input markets, provision of leadership and direction to farmers.
Notore’s approach:
In a bid to contribute to bridging the agricultural extension gap and in line with Notore’s commitment, the company (Notore) established an innovative extension structure in 2011.
This private sector-led extension structure comprises of private extension entrepreneurs referred to as Village Promoters (VPs).
How it works
Each VP is based in his/her community and provides extension services to farmers within his community and neighbouring communities. To be informed about new technology, the VPs secure annual training from Notore agronomists and research scientists. Using the knowledge received from the training and with support from Notore, the VPs train farmers.
Generally, the VP performs the following functions: Establish demonstration plots to drive knowledge of best agronomic practices; mobilize farmers through a participatory process to learning centres; educate farmers on good farming practices, including correct use of fertilisers and improved seeds; forms farmers into groups and organise video viewing sessions on crops, mainly to compliment demonstration plots. Other avenues of reaching a wider population of farmers had also been explored by articulating video education and local radio programmes and regularly giving feedback on all activities.
Notore VP structure impact
This approach has evolved with much emphasis on supervision to improve and maintain the quality of services across all locations, while institutionalising an organisational control structure that can adequately enhance interaction and communication flow between Notore (and others who might want to channel goods and services through the VP structure).
This project of strengthening the VP scheme in order to enable it crystallise into a one-stop agriculture business support structure in the farming communities provides immense benefits for all concerned.
The benefits include benefit to the farming community. The gap in knowledge of good agriculture practice within the farming communities is being bridged by well trained and better supervised VPs who are committed to the business of providing extension service and products to the local communities.
The VP structure has reached over 3.5 million farmers with knowledge of good farming practice and appropriate fertiliser in pack sizes that are affordable to the farmers. In the year 2012, an independent assessment of the impact of the village promoter work by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) revealed that 33.65% of farmers learnt, at least, one improved farming practice from Notore.
Benefit to the VP – this result was achieved by the 2,797 VPs in our network, creating 10,000 demo plots across farming communities in 30 states. These plots served as “show-and-tell-plots” within the communities, of how best to approach farming practice, all of which have led to increased awareness of farmers about the need to adopt good farming practices and use of improved seeds and fertiliser. The project better equips the VP with the knowledge for farming practices, increases their sales volume capacity, leading to increase in agricultural output and national food security.
Social benefit in employment creation – the VP scheme today engages beyond 3,000 youth in a profitable venture and provides them with an activity that takes them out of idleness. As we grow the scheme, we will progressively help more youth find avenues in adding value within their local communities, while improving their financial standing.
A structure like the VP scheme will provide an organised structure for getting financing across to farmers and creating market for farmers produce.
Benefit to Notore and its partners – the company sees the prospect of reaching more farmers via the enhanced VP scheme, thus, expanding its market frontiers for increased sales volume. Marketing/product development activities will also be supported by the VP’s as they serve as anchor persons for implementing initiatives in the field.
The laudable efforts of VPs in the past five years have significantly helped in achieving the level of success realised and we are optimistic that with continuous strengthening of the structure and capacity building, they will help expand the results and increase our pace towards achieving the African Green Revolution objective. This is a model that can be adopted nationwide and promoted.
