Wet-season: Farmers presented with options at seed, input fair

The International Crops Research for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) under the state’s Agro Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) with support from Lives and Livelihoods Fund has organized a four-day pre-season seed and input fair for farmers ahead of the approaching wet-season.

Among the companies that displayed their products during the fair is Modern Agriculture and Allied Services. The company presented varieties of seeds to farmers.

The company presented seeds such as dwarf Sorghum, dwarf Chakti Millet which is an early yielding variety and several varieties of sorghum, maize and millet seeds.

According to the Managing Director of the company, Latifat Ajeigbe, they presented seeds that are drought resistance as well as early yielding varieties, adding that some of the seeds yield between 60 and 65 days.

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“Taking into consideration the current situation in country with respect to climate change, we are presenting and introducing to farmers varieties that can withstand the climate change and also yield earlier than the normal seeds,” she revealed.

Another company that showcased its wares at the fare is Techni Seeds. The company presented climate smart seeds that are also vitamin fortified. According to the Managing Director of the Company, Stella Thomas, the farmers need seeds that are climate smart and also fortified with vitamins, adding that her company is introducing farmers to such seeds so they can fully benefit from their labour.

“It is time to encourage farmers to move away from the use of plantable seeds to embrace the use of climate smart seeds for better yield,” he said.

Addressing the participants during the flag-off of the fair, ICRISAT Country Representative Dr Angarawai Ignatius revealed that every good planting season starts with good preparation in terms of good seeds and good Agro-Input that can guarantee good harvest. According to him, many farmers have been experiencing poor harvest because they couldn’t get access to quality seed and inputs.

He explained that based on this, the institute finds it very vital to create a point at various centres where farmers will be linked with certified seed companies as well as agro-input producers, adding that the fair serves as a point where farmers make direct contact with companies. He also said the fair is an opportunity for farmers to ask questions and get instant response.

Similarly, the State Project Coordinator KSADP, Malam Ibrahim Gama, stated that the project has injected huge sum of money in the areas of seed and input provision to farmers, adding that ICRISAT as one of the implementing partners has done a lot in injecting climate-smart and climate-friendly seed that would complement the current issue of climate change.

While declaring the seed and input fair open, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf stated that the state government is ready to assist the farmers in improving their production capacity, adding that the state government will not relent in ensuring that the state attains an improved agricultural status.