The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has organised a one day training for 300 farmers in Gombe State The training was on the promotion of organic fertilisers, preparation and the use at local level, using eco-friendly technologies. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop on Wednesday, Alhaji Mohammed Kwaido, Director, Farm Inputs Support Services (FISS) of FMARD, said accessing foreign exchange and importation of inorganic raw materials was difficult due to Russia/ Ukraine conflicts. The conflict, he explained, made it necessary for Nigerians to look inward and pay attention to local preparation of those organic fertilisers, using eco friendly local materials. Represented by Mrs Ngozi Ajagun, Chief Agricultural Officer, FISS Department, he said benefits of adopting the use of locally made organic formulation would reduce the cost of purchasing inorganic fertilisers as well as improve soil condition and fertility. He expressed confidence that Nigerian farmers were well prepared to adopt the use of organic fertilisers since the country was blessed with abundant raw materials such as livestock waste, plant residues, among others. According to him, some agric commodities are being rejected at the international markets because of the high chemical contents, “therefore making it imperative to use the organic fertilisers. Mallam Sale Adamu, Deputy Director, Fertiliser Department, FMARD, said the aim of the training was to sensitise farmers to the use of organic fertilisers readily available through poultry dropping and now being used to complement the use of inorganic fertilisers. He said organic fertiliser had tremendous benefits in protecting the environment and the soil and ensuring a healthy living of farmers and consumers. Dr Mohammed Musa, Gombe State Coordinator, FMARD, said their expectation was that, at the end of the training, farmers would be equipped with the appropriate knowledge on how to prepare organic fertilizer with local contents close to where they resided.
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