Adamawa Govt, vows to promote farmer’s safety, sustain agricultural practices

By Yagana Ali, Yola

The Adamawa State Government has renewed its commitment to improving the livelihoods of farmers by promoting safer, more sustainable agricultural practices and creating opportunities for local farmers to compete in both domestic and international markets.

The government made the commitment on Friday, during a capacity-building workshop on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and pesticide management organized by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), North-East Regional Office, Yola.

The training, held at the Government Lodge in Numan, Numan Local Government Area, brought together more than 60 smallholder farmers and other agricultural stakeholders from Numan and Demsa Local Government Areas.

Representing the State Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Industry, Joab Haggai Sahma, at the event, the Assistant Director in the Department of Commerce, Aliyu Yahaya Shehu, said the state government recognized farmers as critical drivers of economic growth and food security.

Shehu said the government remained committed to supporting farmers through the provision of agricultural inputs and other interventions designed to improve productivity, strengthen livelihoods and make agricultural products more competitive.

He noted that the state government, in collaboration with NEPC, had also facilitated the free registration of potential exporters, describing the initiative as an important step towards opening the door for more farmers and entrepreneurs to participate in the international trade market.

He urged farmers to take advantage of the opportunities available through government agencies and adopt modern and responsible farming practices that would enable them to produce quality commodities that meet the standards required in both local and international markets.

“Farmers must see agricultural production not only as a means of feeding their families but also as a viable business capable of connecting them to larger markets,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the Executive Director of NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, the Council’s North-East Regional Coordinator, Ben Anani Egon, said the workshop was designed to strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers on the safe, responsible and effective use of pesticides.

According to him, the training focused on critical areas including the proper handling, storage and application of pesticides, personal safety, environmental protection and compliance with relevant agricultural standards and regulatory requirements.

Egon explained that Nigerian agricultural commodities destined for international markets had continued to face rejection at border control points because of contaminants, particularly pesticide residues such as dichlorvos, exceeding the maximum permissible residue limits.

He said such rejections could undermine farmers’ incomes, damage Nigeria’s reputation in international markets and discourage potential buyers from sourcing agricultural products from the country.

He stressed that improving farmers’ knowledge of pesticide management was therefore essential to ensuring that agricultural commodities produced in Nigeria were safe, healthy and acceptable to consumers around the world.

The NEPC coordinator said the workshop was part of the Council’s pesticide management project under its risk management initiative, which seeks to tackle the rejection of Nigerian agricultural exports arising from excessive pesticide residues.

He assured farmers of NEPC’s continued partnership and support, noting that the Council would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to improve the quality, safety and marketability of agricultural products from Adamawa State.

One of the resource persons, Hajara Adamu, who delivered a presentation on Good Agricultural Practices, took participants through practical approaches to pesticide application and other safe farming techniques.

Adamu encouraged farmers to embrace environmentally friendly and sustainable methods capable of protecting their health, preserving the environment and maintaining the long-term productivity of their farms.

She also challenged participants to become ambassadors of safe agricultural practices by sharing the knowledge acquired with other farmers in their communities.

“If farmers apply these practices consistently and share the knowledge with others, the impact will go beyond those present at this training and reach entire farming communities,” she emphasized.

For the participants, the training provided more than just technical knowledge; it offered a clearer understanding of how improved farming practices could translate into better-quality produce, stronger incomes and greater access to lucrative markets.

Two participants, Clara Heman and Ark Audu, described the workshop as timely and impactful, saying the lessons had improved their understanding of safe pesticide use and modern agricultural practices.

They pledged to share the knowledge with other farmers in their respective communities to ensure that the benefits of the training extended beyond the participants.

The workshop concluded with the distribution of agricultural inputs, including knapsack sprayers, protective boots and other farming tools, to support participants in applying the lessons learned and boost agricultural productivity.

The initiative is expected to contribute to safer farming practices in Adamawa while strengthening the state’s capacity to produce quality agricultural commodities capable of meeting the growing demands of both domestic and international markets.