Agriculture
THE Programme Manager, Anambra Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), Mr Godwin Akujieze, has advised farmers to take advantage of agricultural extension services to improve productivity and enhance food security.
Akujieze gave the advice on Friday during an interactive session with newsmen in Awka.
He said the core responsibility of ADP is to provide farmers with technical support and guidance on improved agricultural practices, including selection of suitable crop varieties.
“The agency always recommends improved cassava varieties, such as TME 419, TME 0505 and TME 0581, which are yellow-fleshed and fortified with Vitamin A to improve nutrition,” he said.
He also identified Hybrid 2 and Hybrid 6 as high-yielding maize varieties suitable for cultivation in the current farming season.
Akujieze said that extension service agents had been deployed across the 21 LGAs of the state, particularly in riverine communities, to provide farmers with timely technical assistance.
“Each extension agent is expected to work with at least 80 contact farmers.
“I am appealing to our farmers to consult the officers regularly to maximise their yields,” he said.
Akujieze also expressed delight over a growing preference for organic fertilisers, such as poultry droppings and compost manure, over inorganic alternatives.
He said the shift was driven by the environmental sustainability and health benefits associated with organic fertilisers.
He expressed concern over the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers, saying that their improper application had been linked to various health challenges.
The ADP boss assured farmers that the recommended cassava and maize varieties would soon be made available to them for cultivation.
Akujieze reiterated the commitment of ADP towards supporting farmers with improved technologies and extension services for better and enhanced harvest. (NAN)
F.O
Tags: Extnsion Services