Abuja – Some Farmers and agricultural stakeholders on Tuesday said the introduction of “soil test kits’’ for extension workers would boost farm yields in the country.
A cross section of them lauded the kits in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
They said the Federal Government must continue to make farming easy and attractive to create jobs and boost food production.
Mr Awalu Musa, a farmer from “One man Village,’’ said the innovation would reduce the pressure on farmlands.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
“This will force us to conduct shifting cultivation which most farmers have abandoned because of limited farmlands in the Federal Capital Territory,’’ he said.
Mr Abdullahi Mairiga, another farmer in the area, said the initiative would reduce the regular need for the application of fertilisers on the soil.
“The ministry has really tried. Though I have not seen the material, they should ensure all farmers conducted soil test before farming seasons,’’ he said.
On his part, Chief Ignatus Achum, chemical dealer, said the technology would enhance soil fertility, saying “this will boost farm yields and promote all agriculture businesses.’’
NAN reports that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development recently launched the technology for soil tests in Kaduna.
The apparatus empowers extension workers and farmers to conduct soil tests on farms without sending samples to laboratories. (NAN)