From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Hybrid Seed Market Development Manager at the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Olawale Ojo, has said that if Nigerian farmers fail to embrace good seeds that will withstand drought, pests, and other climatic conditions, the country is at risk of facing a food crisis resulting from shortage.
Ojo stated this when journalists visited some demonstration farms that embraced TELA Maize seeds in Danmarke Jaji, Kaduna community, at the weekend.
According to the Market Manager, the sole goal of AATF is to ensure food security across the country.
“Our goal is to help as many farmers as possible to adopt this technology; the seed technology for any crop amounts to 30 per cent of the value that a farmer is supposed to get.
“So without good seeds, without quality seeds, there will be trouble when it comes to food security, so it’s our goal that as many farmers as possible adopt this technology to ensure that they can have better protection in terms of the crop, they can be assured of good yields, and that will mean better livelihood, food security for the country, and farmers are always happy to go back to the fields to produce food,” he said.
He explained that in averting the looming food crisis, more farmers need to embrace seeds developed to ensure better yields, resist pests, and withstand drought.
“We want more and more farmers to get on board with this technology so that their lives can be better and we can be assured of food security,” he stressed.
He, therefore, called on all farmers to give the TELA Maize hybrid seeds a trial.
“So that is why we are calling on more farmers to give it a trial. They can speak to the seed companies in Nigeria who have these varieties, get it, and have a trial of it on their farms,” Ojo advised.
Meanwhile, Malam Sabitu Abdullahi, a farmer at Danmarke Jaji in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, said for the three years he has been planting the TELA Maize variety, he could vouch for its enormous benefits and advantages compared to the old variety.
He said apart from its good yield, once there is moisture, it takes about 70 days to start maturing. He said within three to four months, it could be harvested.
“I would like all Nigerian farmers to adopt the TELA Maize variety. It needs less fertiliser, is drought-resistant, does not attract worms, and produces food in greater quantity. Ahead of the next planting season, farmers should try to get the TELA Maize variety at hand.”
Saleh Ahmadu, another farmer from the area, said he abandoned the old variety he had been planting for over two decades and adopted the TELA Maize variety because of its quality.
“If you get five bags using the old variety, the TELA Maize variety can give you nine bags with fewer demands.”
Lady farmer, Amina Sabitu, said, “The maize variety is very good; it has a good yield. Previously, we got between 10 to 15 bags of maize after harvest. But for the past three years that we’ve been using this new variety, we’ve been getting 20 bags and above after harvest. I’m calling on fellow women to adopt this variety of maize because of its importance. They should plant it and experiment with the variety; they would stick to it and would never like to use another variety of maize again.”
Ismail Shuaibu, a 27-year-old farmer in Jaji, also expressed satisfaction with the TELA Maize variety, saying many other farmers have also attested to the importance of the variety.
He said last year he planted the new variety of seeds and got about 15 bags of maize, compared to the seven to eight bags he used to get using the old variety.
“We don’t even spray insecticide; both the plant and the maize seeds are free from worms, unlike before when we had to spray insecticide on the farm and also to preserve the maize.”
He called on youth in agriculture to embrace the TELA Maize variety because of its numerous advantages.
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