About 12,000 rice farmers in Abuja and Kaduna are to benefit from an innovative application – RiceAdvice App, which has been introduced to 200 extension workers in Abuja and Kaduna.
The RiceAdvice App is the initiative of the Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), a non-profit organisation focused on women farmers in the country in partnership with Mastercard Foundation.
Speaking in Abuja, WOFAN President, Salamatu Garba, said the extension workers have been trained on the use of the App to advise farmers to enhance their performance and annual yield.
“With this app, they can measure the exact sizes of the farm and advise the farmers on the correct fertilizer application. The app is also useful for predictive analysis because it will be able to proffer information such as expected yields from farms and how farmers can leverage this to maximise profits,” Garba said.
Also, the Programme Lead, Agriculture for Mastercard Foundation in Nigeria, Lois Sankey, said the training is aimed at building the savvy of the extension workers on the integration of technology and agriculture which is a testament to the Young Africa Works (YAW) strategy of The Foundation.
“Since the extension workers provide services to the farmers, it is important their capacity to train the farmers in understanding the principles under the RiceAdvice is consistently built. This is particularly important as we go into the dry season farming, so constant training is necessary to increase the extension workers’ capacity.”
The president noted that the extension workers were part of a total of 200 that are working with WOFAN in the four northern states of Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa and FCT, adding that they were the third batch to be trained.
“We are working in the four states with the Mastercard Foundation. This project encompasses 45,000 farmers who will go back to their various farmers better equipped and more knowledgeable on 21 century strategies of farming.
“Through this project, we are anticipating a new generation of farmers who will leverage technology to achieve great things,” she said.