AUN's Sustainable Farming Expert Trains 15 Adamawa Extension Officers

An increase in the contamination of water bodies with agrochemical farm inputs has spurred new thinking that farmers wind down on their use of such inputs.

AUN is one concerned body pushing new approaches.

Recently, 15 Agriculture Extension Officers in Adamawa State trained on sustainable farming methods through its development-focused NGO - the Atiku Center for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Development.

Field Research Manager at the Office of Sustainability, Olurotimi Ogundijo, was the resource person for the training. The seven-day intensive capacity building session in Mubi, Adamawa State, took place from April 23 to May 1, 2019.

The training is part of the objective of an EU and GIZ-sponsored project aimed at building resilience through sustainable agriculture and to contribute to the resilience of agriculture-related coping mechanisms of IDPs, returnees, and host community members in Mubi North, Mubi South, and Maiha LGAs.  

The trainees were exposed to different principles and practices in sustainable agriculture such as permaculture, organic agriculture, conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and biodynamic farming.

Central to these sustainable farming practices were the need to use natural materials to fertilize soils, manage pest and diseases, and storage of harvested farm yields.

“These practices, when employed, will lead to increase in biodiversity, soil conservation, water conservation, higher farm profit, less cost on inputs, increased yield and above all healthy foods for human consumption,’’ said Mr. Ogundijo.

The trainees were also taken through several practical sessions which include making of compost from several agricultural and sawmill waste materials, designing contour lines and swales on farmland using an A-shaped wooden frame, installing biodynamic heaps and preparation of bio-pesticides from solutions of natural materials like neem leaves, chili pepper, garlic, ginger, and tobacco leaves.

The Mubi Zonal Manager at the Agricultural Extension Office, Peter Agga thanked the facilitator for the training. Initially, he had a lot of doubts about the practicability of sustainable farming but his doubts were eventually cleared and he is now convinced that sustainable agriculture practice is the future of farming. Another participant in the training, Danjuma Zubairu, an extension worker covering Mubi North, was delighted with the wealth of knowledge he had gained.  

Reported by Omorogbe Omorogiuwa