How greenhouse technology will boost agric- Dizengoff

To support the current diversification drive of the Federal Government and mitigate the impact of oil price on the Nigerian economy, Dizengoff Nigeria, a dominant player in the Nigerian agribusiness, sees greenhouse technology boosting agricultural productivity in Nigeria.

The technology is expected to contribute to the development of farming in the country through implementation of sustainable strategies aimed at boosting productivity and guarantying all year farming for farmers.

“To ensure the agricultural sector grows at the rate we all envision, into the self-sufficient and private sector-driven model, government at all levels need to embrace the greenhouse technology as a way of boosting the sector,” said Antti Ritvonen, country manager, Dizengoff Nigeria in a statement made available to BusinessDay. “Our greenhouses come in different sizes and are specifically designed to help farmers work smarter, grow better and harvest bigger,” Ritvonen said.

The greenhouse technology comes with the Dizengoff Farmers Kit (DFK). The DFK is a technology specifically developed to enable farmers produce high quality, fresh produce all year round anywhere in Nigeria.

The greenhouse technology provides plants exactly what they need – a perfect climate, right amount of sunlight, nutrition, exact amounts of water, carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, proper ventilation and hostility to pests and diseases, experts say.

“Dizengoff Farmers Kit offers a great opportunity for job creation, youth empowerment and increased food security for Nigerians through the horticultural value chain,” he added.

A complete greenhouse is a combination of drip irrigation system, quality seeds, knapsack sprayer, agro chemicals and water-soluble fertilizers, training, installation, agro advisory support and insurance.

Patrick Ohaji, head of larger farmers’ solutions, Saro Agrosciences Limited, said “Greenhouse is essentially a controlled environment limiting the devastating effects of pests and diseases infestation that ravage vegetables including tomatoes. It comes complete with a drip irrigation system.

“Farmers can now leverage on the immense opportunity offered by the technology to limit the foreign exchange spent on importing farm produce annually while also providing employment for the youths,” he said.

Despite being a pioneer of the country’s new agricultural revolution, the company stated that for the sector to boost its productivity through greenhouse technology the government must address the issues of importation of specialised fertilisers and semi knocked tractors.

“The process of importing special greenhouse fertilizers required to achieve the desired yields into the country can be made less cumbersome by ensuring that genuine importers certified by the agric ministry are recognised and allowed to bring in the fertilizers by passing through fewer number of regulatory agencies,” he added.

Ritoven urged the government to provide key infrastructural facilities for the sector and implement policies that would boost productivity of the sector.

“Government needs to continue to provide an enabling environment by formulating and implementing policies that will make the agriculture sector self-sufficient and private sector-driven,” he said.

Josephine Okojie