NEPAD urges rural farmers to embrace climate-smart agricultural practices

Nigeria’s rural farmers have been urged to embrace climate-smart agricultural practices to improve their yield and ensure food security in the country amid the negative effects of climate change on food production.

The National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer, African Union Development Agency and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Nigeria, Princess Gloria Akobundu at a one-week workshop on climate-smart Agriculture organised by AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria for farmers in Edo State.

He who was represented by Mr. Zacchaeus Akerejola Maxwell, called on the farmers to take advantage of the workshop and put to good use the knowledge acquired for their personal, community and national benefit, adding that no nation can develop adequately if its citizens are hungry and poor.

While speaking on the theme, “Climate Smart Agriculture and Food Security”, one of the guest lecturers from the Department of Agriculture Technology, Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, Dr. Olotu Yahaya, said considering the impact of climate change on agriculture, there was a need to educate and equip farmers with modern and climate-smart agricultural practices to combat the effects of climate change.

Yahaya demonstrated some simple but practical and cost-effective methods for improving farm produce such as cassava, plantain, maize and other crops commonly produced in the area.

He gave assurance that when these methods are properly applied, farmers would witness drastic improvement not only in their yield but also in their income.