West African Cotton Company Limited has inaugurated the pre-planting training programme for 5,000 cotton farmers in Katsina State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training, which began in Funtua, was meant to enlighten the cotton farmers on best farming practices that would generate increased yield.
WACOT programme officer, Laxman Dhayal, said the training would be conducted within the next three weeks in selected communities in Malumfashi, Funtua and Faskari local government areas.
Dhayal said the programme, being run in partnership with the Federal Government, would also reach small holder farmers through various programmes that included the provision of loan to purchase inputs and for payment of labour cost.
According to him, about 50 farmers’ cooperatives have registered with the company for the seed multiplication programme being implemented by Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Earlier, the chairman of National Cotton Farmers Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), Hamman Kwajafa, advised the farmers to embrace modern techniques so as to increase their production.
