KasimSumaina in Abuja
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project, have partnered in developing a customisedDigital Precision Agricultural Extension (DPAE) platform for smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria.
While briefing the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Professor Charles Anosike, at a meeting held at NiMet’s headquarters in Abuja, Mukhtar Y. Tanko, National Project Coordinator of ACReSAL said that the project recognisesNiMet as an important stakeholder in the development, deployment, and sustainability of the DPAE.
He highlighted that the objectives of Sub-Component B2 of the Project are to support farmers at the household level to optimise climate-smart rain fed agriculture practices. “Achieving this requires utilising weather data to optimise farm management, leading to improved agricultural productivity.”
Additionally, he said the federal government through ACReSAL intends to develop a customised Digital Precision Agricultural Extension (DPAE) platform for smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria.
His words: “This digital agricultural extension service will provide an opportunity whereby farmers can receive both real-time information and advice on agriculture information and customised and predictive content, such as input recommendations, market information, and weather-related information.”
Responding, Professor Anosike welcomed the idea of strengthening the partnership between the agency and ACReSAL.
He noted: “You can’t practice precision-smart agriculture without weather and climate information. We have an existing relationship with ACReSAL which has been productive, so we welcome this idea to strengthen our partnership.
“It is also important that NiMet is a part of co-developing the weather and climate dashboard and platform which should be interactive and easy for the farmers to access and use.”
The objective of the Digital Precision Agricultural Extension (DPAE) platform for smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria, he asserted is to develop, pilot, and implement a precision digital agriculture extension system within Northern Nigeria as part of the strategy for improving farmers’ access to extension and advisory services.
The digital extension platform, Anosike stated will mobilise and coordinate the main actors (farmers, public extension services, inputs dealers, traders, processors, and mechanization services providers) along the value chains and contribute to their integration.
SOURCE: THISDAY NEWSPAPER
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