By Usman Muhammad
Farmers in Gombe State said they recorded high yields during this year’s cropping season, through adoption of innovative farming skills and technologies.
The farmers were being supported under the agricultural intervention initiative by the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), in collaboration with the Gombe State Agricultural Development Programme (GSADP).
The visibly excited farmers reveled this to SOLACEBASE during a Media Field Trip organised by the Sasakawa to assess the impact of its activities, in four intervention local government areas of Billiri, Kaltungo, Shongom and Yamaltu/Deba.
Speaking with this reporter, Chairman of Kalkwi-Amdo Farmers’ Group in Amtawalen community, Yahaya Amuga said farmers recorded high yields at harvest sequel to the intervention by the project.
He said the farmers recorded an average of 30 bags per hectre as against 15 bags before the programme, and attributed the success to the training of farmers on new farming techniques and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
“Farmers received improved variety seed, trained on proper application of fertiliser and chemicals under the programme. We are happy, it increases our yields and income,” Amuga said.
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He, however, identified flood as a major challenge militating against improved crop production, adding that the disaster destroyed many hectres of farmlands in the area.
Amuga, therefore, urged government at all levels to assist the farmers to enable them to engage in dry season activities.
“We also request for provision of milling and threshing machines to enhance preservation and processing of agricultural produce to reduce food loss.”
Another farmer, Mrs Abigail Eli, said women farmers had been exposed to value addition and processing techniques to enhance their enterprising skills.
Eli, who is also the Chairperson, Shidiyen-Nan Women Farmer Group in Lareka Community of the area, said the gesture had empowered women and improved their social and economic wellbeing.
“We also received training on nutrition and value addition. Many women now produce milk extracted from soybean, soybean cake, moringa salad and other cuisines using local variety crops,” she said.
The gesture, she said, had ensured dignity to women in the community as they become self-reliant and contribute to their family upkeep.
She urged the programme to provide grinding machine to the group to enhance their businesses.
Also speaking, Mr Ayuba Hamma, Chairman, Sainsai Farmer Cooperative Society, said the farmers had been exposed to farm management, timing with regard to planting and crop spacing, describing the techniques as game changer.
According to him, the society is providing soft loans to its members to enable them to boost their production capacity.
“At harvest, we aggregate produce to add value and create market for the produce, this makes it easy for our members,’’ he said.
On his part, Mr Isaac Eni, Technical Coordinator Market-Oriented Agriculture, SAA, said the program would support farmers with milling, trashing, grinding machines and other items to enhance enable them to their businesses.
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