Two Million Nigerian Farmers To Benefit From Saro Agroscience Initiative

By OKECHUKWU PEACE

As the Federal Government intensifies its diversification plans, about two million Nigerian farmers are now set to benefit from the roll out of a new initiative by foremost agricultural firm, Saro Agroscience Nigeria Limited.

This was revealed by Mr Oluwole Adeyegbe, Managing Director of the company dring the unveiling of the Specialized and Large Farmers division of the company to stakeholders including financial institutions, farmers and others at their corporate headquarters in Lagos.

To underscore the importance of the new initiative, Adeyegbe revealed that it is capable of enhancing crop yield and income for Nigerian farmers.

He said, “The division we are launching today is focused on specialized and large scale farmers. By this, specialized farmers are those who operate green houses and large farmers are those with large expense of farm land. Our package for small farmers makes available important crop procession products that farmers that are small can afford for the benefit of their farms and thereby improve their crop yield.

On that we are unequivocal that we are going to reach two million farmers within the next three years and we are going to improve their livelihood with inputs that will improve their yield. While making an assessment policy direction of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration, the Saro Agroscience boss said noted that Government is taking a step in the right direction.

“The government is quite keen in supporting agric because diversification is nonnegotiable in the face of scarce foreign exchange. It is important for Nigerians and Nigeria to look inward. Agriculture is readily available through crop and livestock production among others. Agric is a way out and can help us increase Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings through exportation. Agric is a readymade employer of labour that can help in reducing unemployment. There is a lot that we can achieve through Agriculture as a country. I think the government of the day is well focused on this and are going in the right direction,” he added.

Speaking on the irrigation system at the media launch themed “Saro Creating Wealth And Empowerment Through Innovating Agricultural Technologies”, held yesterday, Thursday, September 15, 2016. Also speaking on a presentation entitled “Saro Creating Wealth And Empowerment Through Innovating Agricultural Technologies,” Patrick Ohaji, Head of Business, SAS Large Farms Solution, said that the company has open field drip irrigation for maize, lettuce, cabbage and other crops.

He further noted that “the greenhouses are fixed at 10x24m which is equivalent to 240 square meters, but for small farmers, it is usually advised that they use open field because of the cost implications and specialties involved in certain crop protection products to produce at their own level.”

Established in 1991, Saro AgroSciences –a subsidiary of SaroAfrica International Group has grown to be leading marketer and distributor of Crop Protection Products, farm machineries, irrigation and greenhouses in Nigeria.

Source: expressng.com