The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) on Tuesday distributed improved crop seeds to farmers in Maja-kura community, Nguru, and announced plans to establish a seed bank to strengthen agricultural productivity in Yobe State.
Mr Harry Junior, Coordinator of the NCF Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands Conservation Project, said the exercise was part of a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-supported climate change adaptation initiative. He explained that the seeds, which include soybean, cowpeas, sorghum and millet, would be stored in the seed bank since the planting season had ended, ensuring that farmers could access them in subsequent farming periods.
“The initiative will also serve as an exchange, where farmers provide crop residues after harvest in return for seedlings. The residues will then be processed into animal feed and packaged, creating additional income for communities,” Junior said.
He added that the programme would engage youths in processing the animal feed, while women would handle packaging and sales, thereby strengthening household income. According to him, the project is designed to promote empowerment, skill acquisition and sustainable income generation, while also addressing youth restiveness and reducing women’s redundancy in the region.
Also speaking, Dr Michael Nkereuwem, a senior lecturer in the Department of Crop/Soil Science at the Federal University Dutse, highlighted the benefits of adopting improved seed varieties as part of climate change adaptation. He guided farmers on the planting methods, benefits and maturity periods of the improved crops, emphasizing how they could improve yield and resilience against pests and diseases.
The event attracted key stakeholders, including officials from the Yobe Ministry of Agriculture, Nguru Local Government Area, Yobe Ministry of Environment and traditional leaders from the benefiting communities.
In his remarks, Al-amin Umar, Deputy Director of Agriculture in Nguru Local Government, commended the initiative and praised the quality of seeds distributed.
“I am very impressed with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation. They have lived up to their promise to support multiple communities in Nguru Local Government,” Umar said. He noted that the distributed seeds were resistant to pests and diseases, and that farmers had been trained on appropriate planting methods such as seed spacing and the number of seeds per hole.
