Agric Institute advocates early distribution of inputs to farmers
By Mustapha Yauri
The Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has urged government to distribute inputs to farmers early, in order for the beneficiaries to harvest the desired outcomes of such interventions.
Prof. Mohammed-Faguji Ishiyaku, Director of the institute, gave the advice while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday, in Zaria.
Ishiyaku noted that often times, the preparations for the distribution of inputs to farmers was carried out late, thereby making the intervention getting to the end users sometimes around August.
”By that time (August) the rainy season has gone far, it will be okay for poultry farmers, but for crop production, you have to start planning around January to February.
”By February, you might have finished your procurement; you must have come with the cost of distributing of the inputs to farmers.
”This way, it will go a long way in ensuring that the benefits which government intended is harvested appropriately,’’ he said.
Ishiyaku said that given the fact that the 2021 rainy season was around the corner, the institute would not relent on its effort in creating more awareness among farming communities across the country based on its stock of resources, including technology.
According to him, the institute had improve seeds and management practices, which would be presented to stakeholders at its upcoming annual review and planning meeting in April.
Reacting to the predictions by NiMET of a mid-season or terminal drought, the director advised farmers to plant the ‘early to medium maturing’ crop varieties.
He added that the early to medium maturing crop varieties were those that aligned very well with the length of the predicted rainy season.
”These varieties don’t stay long enough; by the time the drought sets in, they are almost matured, so the ravaging effect of the short rainy season will be highly minimised .
”We have these early and medium maturing seed varieties for sorghum, maize, beans, ( cowpea), cotton and groundnut”, the director said. (NAN)
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