‘Why most farmers run at loss’

The absence of extension services across the country has been identified as one of the main challenges facing farmers across value-chain in the agriculture sector. The managing director of Agripreneuship Professional Services (APS) Limited, Tajudeen Yahaya, made this known in Abuja in an interview with our reporter. According to him, many grassroots farmers, especially in […]

The absence of extension services across the country has been identified as one of the main challenges facing farmers across value-chain in the agriculture sector.

The managing director of Agripreneuship Professional Services (APS) Limited, Tajudeen Yahaya, made this known in Abuja in an interview with our reporter.

According to him, many grassroots farmers, especially in northern Nigeria, are not well acquainted with the recent technology and information that can enhance marketing of their outputs after production.

He said, “Extension as a key angle can add values to the system because we realise that our extension system is not adequate to provide farmers with the guide and information they need to enhance their productivity.”

While pledging to ensure that his organisation carries all grassroots farmers in the North along in all the needed information about farming, Yahaya also urged other private stakeholders to help government by providing extension services.

He said no fewer than four extension service workers, including the technical team, would be in each local government area of the 19 northern states to provide the needed services to farmers.

“Government alone cannot actually do it, looking at the number of farmers we have. So we need private stakeholders that can bring experts within the system that convey up-to-date information and technology to farmers.

“Doing that will enhance productivity for farmers; and it will provide stable markets for his products. So, our extension services look at every local government area in northern Nigeria,” he stated.