Katsina cotton farmers equipped with new farming method

An agricultural company, WACOT Ltd has, in this farming season, trained cotton farmers in Katsina State on how to adopt new farming strategies that will cost less and yield more. The training came as many of the cotton farmers in the state are running away from the cultivation of the crop due to its low […]

An agricultural company, WACOT Ltd has, in this farming season, trained cotton farmers in Katsina State on how to adopt new farming strategies that will cost less and yield more.
The training came as many of the cotton farmers in the state are running away from the cultivation of the crop due to its low yield and poor price.
The company’s plant breader, Dr Laxman Dhayal, said the major reasons for the cotton’s low yield are lack of improved seedlings and strict adherence on the traditional methods of its cultivation.
“In order to make cotton farming more attractive to farmers and also boost its yield in general, WACOT now provides the farmers with the improved cotton seedlings, pesticides and fertilizer at an affordable prices; we also introduce a demonstration plots  where cotton farmers are periodically invited to come and have full grasp of new methodologies at every stage of the farming activities,” said Dr Dhayal.
He added that they supply the farmers with improved seedlings of not only cotton but that of soya beans, sesame, and maize as well as other inputs like agro chemicals and fertilizer.
Dr Dhayal further said WACOT has technical staff that are designated to provide extension services to their registered farmers in their farms, where they study their problems and offer them professional advice.
Dr Kabir Maiwada is the company’s project coordinator. He told Daily Trust that WACOT has demonstration farms in Faskari, Danja, Kafur, Kankara and Bakori local government areas.
He also said the company has in this year earmarked N5million for soft loan to its registered farmers mainly to cater for their harvesting expenses.
One of the beneficiaries from Danja LGA, Malam Saminu Junaidu U/Balarabe said if not for the intervention of WACOT he would have abandoned cotton farming, citing that  his farm  that used to give him 250 bags of maize only gave him 8.5 tonnes of cotton last year.