MAAN organises training for members on agronomic practices

The Maize Association of Nigeria MAAN in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN has organised one-day training for maize farmers on the need for extension services.

Speaking with newsmen in Kaduna, National President MAAN, Bello Abubakar, said the training was necessary considering the strategic importance of maize production as regards global economy.

“It is an anchor borrower scheme for the 2021 wet season aimed at training farmers on agronomic practices on their various farmlands”, he said.

Train-the-trainee workshop
Abubakar explained that the program is a train-the-trainee workshop, in which farmers are expected to reciprocate the trainings to other farmers at their different zones.

The President said prior to the training, they normally harvest just about two and a half metric tons per hectare yearly but they are hopeful their yield would increase to five to six tons per hectare after the training.

According to him, the training would provide information on when to begin their farming activities to the point of harvest.

He therefore urged all the maize farmers to be diligent in terms of agronomic practices so that they could yield better harvest in the coming months and also beat their targets.

The Development Finance Officer, Central Bank, Kaduna Branch, Muhammed Aminu said out of the existing six farmers Association, MAAN was chosen due to their outstanding record in maize production.

He therefore urged all the participants at the training to utilize the information they will receive and as well train other farmers at their states in order to have a large harvest this year.

“All participants here present are from the various geopolitical zones, we expect that when you all return, this same training will be done at both the State and community levels to all farmers so that the goal expected will be achieved”, he said.

One of the participants from the North Central zone who is also the Chairman MAAN, Nasarawa State chapter, Dr Dalhat Muhammed said the training was timely and strategic mainly because it’s the wet season for maize production.

“The training will help update us in our skills on the technicalities of modern methods of maize farming to increase yields”, he said.

He however lamented that logistics are mainly their major challenge as the raining season has gone far but they are yet to receive inputs to achieve their targets.

About 60 participants were drawn from all the six geopolitical zones for the training.

Nneka Ukachukwu