How farmers use technology to reduce global warming

Farmers in Akwa Ibom State have been trained on how to use digital crop monitoring to reduce global warming effects on crops.  With the digital means to monitor crop growth, farmers can oversee their crops, even from the comfort of their seats and instruct someone on what to do in their absence. Mr Kene Onukwube, […]

Farmers in Akwa Ibom State have been trained on how to use digital crop monitoring to reduce global warming effects on crops. 

With the digital means to monitor crop growth, farmers can oversee their crops, even from the comfort of their seats and instruct someone on what to do in their absence.

Mr Kene Onukwube, programme manager, Oil Palm Solidaridad, Nigeria, initiators of the training programme, said farmers could make use of an app to monitor the growth of their crops and progress of their farms by dictating when their farm is suffering from drought, flood or disease.

Speaking during the digital crop monitoring training organised in partnership with the Agroxchange Technology Limited in Okobo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Onukwube noted that the training, which was based on precision farming, would assist farmers to record improved yields. 

He explained that the training would impart farmers and community facilitators with the required knowledge for efficient farming methods as the world adjusts to climate change, adding that it would benefit the crops, farmers and the rural community in general.

“This is digital crop monitoring. The idea is to help farmers stay at any location and monitor the progress of their farms from planting to harvesting. It is not every time you have to be physically present in your farm.

“Through the technology, you can know the progress and response of your crops so as to apply fertilisers. You can know when they are suffering from drought, when they are being affected by flood and when diseases occur in the farm,’’ he said.

Solidaridad West Africa is a non-profit advocate of best agricultural practices, which has trained farmers in Akwa Ibom on various aspects of agricultural development and how to reap maximum benefit from agric value chain.