Recognising the devastation caused by weeds to cassava production, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the African Cassava Agronomy Initiative have collaborated to organised training for 35 lead farmers and trainers in Ogun state.
The aim of training the trainers is to help cassava farmers minimize crop losses due to weeds infestation, a statement says.
Sunday Idahosa, value chain advisor of GIZ and SEDIN, said weeds were a major challenge constraining the productivity of cassava, saying that weeding account for 50 – 80 percent of labour cost of cassava production.
He noted that the training was a dream come true, stressing that it would create an open door for future collaboration between GIZ and ACAI.
“We are hoping that this training of trainers (ToT) would extend to about 1,000 farmers from the step-down activities that will take place following the training,” Idahosa said.
For Fatimo Atanda, an N-Power beneficiary and a participant of the training said “this training has improved my knowledge base as an agronomist, with access to rural farmers. As an N-power beneficiary, I can disseminate all I have been taught in the last three days.”
Atanda described the IITA Herbicide Calculator which was given to participants free of charge as a great tool.
“The training has shown that the use of the calculator makes herbicide calibration a lot easier,” she added.
The three days training, which was facilitated Godwin Atser, digital extension &rural advisory services specialist, capitalized on successes and lessons learnt under the Cassava Weed Management Project of IITA which has merged with the ACAI.
Another participant, Tolulope Aina, a cassava farmer and CEO of Tolulope said the materials given during the ToT were a great resource for training the farmers. “I can now teach the Six-steps to Cassava Weed Management,”
Taiwo Ayansanwo, program manager for the Ogun State Agricultural Development Program (OGADEP), described the training on the six steps to cassava weed management as a welcome development and called for more of such trainings in the state. She said that such regular trainings would build capacities and help in improving farmers’ knowledge on good farming practices such as record keeping, weed management and safe use of herbicides.
The ToT included the following sessions on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), harnessing experiences and results from cassava weed management project, cassava agronomy, principles and practices of the six steps to cassava weed management toolkit, calibration, and safe use and application of herbicides.
Also a video demonstration of the six steps to cassava weed management toolkit. Participants were also introduced to the IITA herbicides calculator mobile App which enables farmers to calibrate and know exactly the amount of herbicide to apply on any given field.
Josephine Okojie
