Application of digital farming technologies will rapidly advance Nigeria’s agri-business — Expert

The Director of Strategic Partnership, Earth Observing System Data Analytics (EOSDA), Mr Brijesh Thoppil, says rapid improvements in Nigeria’s agri-business will depend largely on application of digital farming technologies.

Thoppil told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, that Nigerian smallholder farmers would improve their incomes and enhance livelihoods if they adopted modern farming technologies.

“For instance, Nigerian farmers need to apply satellite imagery analytics and satellite-based farm monitoring to better harness their farming yields because they help to provide reliable field analysis.

“Also, adoption of every form of digital farming technology will enable Nigeria actualise more food production with less resources.

“Digital farming implies less use of chemicals, heavy machinery and water thereby increasing in land value and farming productivity,’’ he said.

Thoppil said the need for Nigerian farmers to embrace digital farming to better harness their farm yields was imperative as well as urgent.

“With the adoption of digital farming, Nigeria will achieve more food production with less resources and ultimately realise food security,” he said.

Thoppil said that countries reaping bountifully from their agri-business sectors were those purposefully encouraging application of digital farming technologies.

“Farming technologies are helping governments across the world to form policies and make agriculture an inherent tool in the battle to fight food insecurity,” he said.

Thoppil commended Olam, an agro-company in Nigeria, for developing a crop monitoring technological platform, saying “the technology can provide historical information of farm yields dating back to five years”.