IAA prioritizes smallholder farmers with climate-smart and GAP training

30 July 2022

Since 19 July 2019, the USAID-funded Feed the Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity’s major goals have been to improve food security, increase agricultural incomes, and improve resilience among smallholder farmers and their families in Adamawa and Borno states. Working in seven Local Government Areas of Adamawa State and five in Borno State, the Activity has reached about 60,000 smallholder farmers with the Climate Smart and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Training.

In May and June 2022, the Activity, under the facilitation of the National Seeds Council (NASC), organized a refresher training in Climate Smart and GAP in preparation for the 2022 wet season farming. The training rounds started with a training-of-trainers session for the Extension Agents (EAs) supporting the Activity, after which it was stepped down to smallholder farmers in the communities.

During the training, emphasis was placed on the Activity’s seven focus crops—rice, maize, groundnut, soybean, millet, cowpea, and sorghum. The topics included differentiating seeds from grains, general and agronomic principles of seed production, harvesting, postharvest handling, and management.

The training also included essential tips on handling various crop pests and diseases such as Fall Armyworm, safe use and storage of pesticides and Aflasafe (including using only pesticides approved in the Safer Use Action Plan), and proper fertilizer application. Overall, 66,742 smallholder farmers participated in the training in Adamawa and Borno states.

Contributed by Joke Fayemi