By Editor
Farmers in Nasarawa State have commended the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) for training them in climate-smart agriculture and nutrition-sensitive farming, saying the initiative has improved their yields, incomes and produce quality.
The farmers spoke on Friday during a two-day media field tour of SAA-supported projects in Lafia, Obi and Doma Local Government Areas.
Bashir Ogbole, chairman of Ayinewoza Farmers’ Cooperative in Obi, said improved seeds and proper spacing had produced better results than traditional farming methods, despite harsh weather conditions.
Another farmer, Jibril Elayo, said farmers had been introduced to planting one maize seed per hole and a maize-soybean rotation system that improves moisture retention and phosphorus uptake.
In Doma, women farmers growing orange-fleshed sweet potatoes said SAA had taught them how to prepare the crop as porridge, juice, snacks and boiled food. The crop is rich in vitamin A and matures early enough to support two planting cycles annually.
Nasarawa’s Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Food Security, Salamatu Oseze, praised SAA’s partnership with the Nasarawa Agricultural Development Programme and urged its expansion to more rural communities.
SAA’s Technical Coordinator for Climate Resilience and Agrifood Systems, Nathaniel Otene, said the organisation was promoting improved crop varieties that could withstand climate-related weather extremes while raising farmers’ incomes and improving livelihoods.
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