Bayer Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, Germany, has trained 150 farmers and extension workers in Kwara State on standard agronomic practices for enhanced agricultural productivity.
In his remarks during the training, the Bayer sales manager, South-Western Nigeria, Mr Adeyemi Adeyemo, expressed the company’s commitment towards improving agriculture in Kwara State, saying the program targeted smallholder farmers who make up a large number of the agricultural producers in the state to help them realize the state’s agricultural potentials.
He also restated Bayer Nigeria’s commitment to quality, identifying some of the products being promoted to include herbicide, top-star pre-emergence for rice, lagon, pre-emergence for maize and cassava while insecticide products are belt expert for all armyworm and decides.
Commenting on the training, beneficiaries expressed appreciation to Bayer Nigeria and the state government, saying the training covered various aspects that concern agricultural input for agribusiness improvement.
A participant, Ahmed Idowu, said the very simplified training for easy understanding by participants was highly educative, adding the products and their compatibility to each product on crop type were visually demonstrated. “The trainees would appreciate the products when they start applying them on their crops,” he said.
Another participant, Yahaya Bello, a small-scale farmer, commended Bayer Nigeria for the intervention, stating that the training had improved the growth of his crops.
Bello, who cultivates maize, guinea corn and rice on his farm located at Ganiki, Zango area, said he had been using traditional method for weed control but the Bayer Nigeria training has now made the control of weeds easy, adding his crops are growing well.
A statement by Wandieville media project manager, Jane Ugochukwu, said the training carried out in conjunction with Kwara State Agricultural Development Project (KSADP) was in two batches in compliance with the COVID-19 protocol.
It added the batches had 75 participants in pest management while 75 others were trained on the use of herbicides for the production of rice, maize, and cassava. They were trained on how to utilize the potentials of agriculture through their small farming business in the state.
