‘Time farmers bent down planting seeds is over’
How is IAR assisting farmers to modernise their activities?In IAR, we have different programmes and units. One of the programmes is saddled with the responsibility of producing prototype machines for our crops. The programme is handled by the agricultural mechanisation unit. In this unit, we have different types of machines; ranging from planters to thrashing […]
How is IAR assisting farmers to modernise their activities?
In IAR, we have different programmes and units. One of the programmes is saddled with the responsibility of producing prototype machines for our crops. The programme is handled by the agricultural mechanisation unit. In this unit, we have different types of machines; ranging from planters to thrashing machines.
The latest one that we have innovated is the maize and sorghum sheller. It is from our old shellers that we produced these ones; we increased their efficiency and the cleaning percentage. Before, we had a machine that had 95 percent efficiency but the latest ones have 99 percent thrashing efficiency. When we say thrashing efficiency, it means the machine would bring out your produce clean without chaps or breaking the grains. Breaking of seed or grain is not up to one percent. The volume of the machine before was a large one. But they have now reduced it to be a manageable one. If a farmer has a motorcycle, he can use it to convey this machine wherever he wants.
The machine is powered by a small engine. It is a very simple machine. In an hour you can thrash up to five to 10 bags. With this, a farmer can reduce time wastage and breakage of his grains. Instead of farmers using sticks and other objects to beat their crops, with this machine things are much easier. And the cost of this machine is not much. Farmers can use them for dual purpose. They can form a group to buy one; use it in their fields and also commercialise it. This machine, if it is well maintained, can last up to 20 years. This is another beauty of it.
But are farmers aware of the availability of this machine?
Yes, they do. There is a commercial section which goes round all the geopolitical zones under our jurisdiction to showcase this technology. We give people opportunity to bring their maize or sorghum where we thrash it for them at a cost. If they see the efficiency, then they usually come here to buy. As I talk to you now, we have many requests that we were not able to supply. This is to tell you the importance that the farmers attach to this new technology. Our major predicament is the capacity of our workshop. We cannot produce more than two to three machines per two months, and we have many requests. But with the attempt to widen the workshop by the current management, we think things would change for the better. There is no household in our geopolitical zones where you would not see one or more of our technologies, which is aiding our farmers.
What value are these new technologies adding to the farming system of the North, and the country at large?
Before, people were using animal drones or human labour. Agriculture has now turned scientific where efficiency is needed. There is competition now and it is because of this value-chain approach. Your products must meet all the standards. If a farmer wants to remain relevant in this era, he needs to avoid the use of hand to the use of simple machines.
Drudgery in our agriculture makes our youth not to recognise it as a profession. When a farmer says he would follow the steps of his forefathers that used certain methods about 300 years ago, then there is a problem.
Time was when a farmer would bend down to plant his seeds or use a hoe to make ridges. It is necessary for innovation. IAR is trying to modernise the farming system of our zones by bringing simple machines. This can help our youth to take agriculture as a profession, because everything is simplified. With our planter, a farmer can just stand pulling it with his hand and it would be dropping the seed. A youth can take this as leisure and can be attracted to farming.
A farmer who has harvested his crops doesn’t need to be beating it for grains or invite women with mortar and pestle beating the crops. With the thrashing machine, the crop would come out clean because there is a blower inside. The grains would also go directly into the bags, and there is this simple sealing machine that can seal the bags for the farmer. So, IAR is trying in the development of the technologies that can ease agricultural practices so that our youth can take it as a profession.
Would these machines enhance the chances of Nigerian farmers in exporting their produce?
Of course, since the machines would certainly improve the quality of the produce. When we say quality, it means the crops are free from chaff, stones and what have you. With these machines, all the chaff and other unwanted materials are thrashed out. Therefore, all what would be coming out is the clean seed or grains and even the broken seeds or grains would not enter your bag, because the blower would flush it out. The machines can even do grading for farmers. It can bag similar sizes of a given seed, because in seed we have different sizes. There is a devise in the machine that a farmer can set and bring out the size of seeds he wants. Therefore, the machines can perform many functions to ensure quality.
As I said, we have the maize and sorghum sheller and they are of different types. We even have the groundnut oil extracting machine, which is very simple where our women can easily use them to extract their oil. We have planters, riggers, harrowers and many others for the use of our farmers. We started making these machines about 20 years ago; we are only improving on them now. Farmers can access these machines anytime they come to the institute. We are open to all farmers. We are encouraging farmers to come to the institute for any assistance, especially during our exhibition period in February of every year. Anything crops and machines are for IAR, and we are ready anytime to assist.