Soil health cards coming for farmers
Farmers in Nigeria will now receive soil health cards as part of an initiative of the Federal Government, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi has said.
He told The Nation on the sidelines of the forum on Multi-stakeholders Platform on Feed and Fodder (MSP) organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and African Union Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in Abuja, that the Soil Health Card (SHC) is a significant government initiative aimed at assessing the health of soils and providing farmers with customized recommendations to improve soil fertility and productivity.
Asked about his take after attending the African Soil Health and Fertility in Kenya, the minister said it has become critical, using soil health card to provide information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendation on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving its health and fertility.
According to him, the use of soil health card would help farmers reduce substantially the cost of production and achieve higher production, thereby increasing farm income.
The said there is going to be an increased attention on the health of soil in agricultural areas across the country, to boost productivity and bring about increased prosperity.
Consequently, soil testing is going to be a regular feature.
Earlier, the Project Lead, Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS), Dr Sarah Osiya stressed the need to enhance national food security in Nigeria by implementing sustainable technologies and practices in the agriculture sector. She stressed the need to deploy the vehicle of MSP to promote feed and fodder to increase local livestock production and improve the food value chain.
She hoped the government would support the MSP to play a significant role in enhanced agricultural practices.
Last month, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to agricultural reforms aimed at bolstering production and improving soil management practices.
Shettima, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, Kingsley Uzoma, in Abuja during the launch of an agricultural initiative tagged ‘Soil Values’ stressed the urgent need to confront issues such as land degradation, erosion, and drought, particularly in the Sahel region.
The Vice President had said: “Agriculture is a cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy, contributing significantly to our national GDP. However, it faces various constraints hindering its progress.
“Land degradation, erosion, and drought are exacerbating due to over-exploitation, deforestation, and overgrazing, particularly in the northern regions.
“Nigeria is proud to be part of this programme, which will truly benefit our farmers, as well as farmers in other countries involved, who have been facing this soil fertility problem for years.
“We are truly committed to supporting the effective and sustainable implementation of the programme in Nigeria. We also invite all the other countries included to put in place various mechanisms to facilitate the implementation of the Soil Values programme activities.”
