4,500 cotton farmers in Katsina receive training

West Africa Cotton Limited (WACOT), an agricultural company, has begun the 2014 pre-planting training exercise for 4,500 cotton farmers in Katsina State. The training, which is being conducted in Daudawa village in Faskari Local Government Area, is to enlighten the cotton farmers on best farming practices that would enhance their productivity and farm yields.

Laxman Dhayal, project officer of the company, says similar training is slated to hold in Malumfashi, Funtua, Bakori, Kafur and Faskari local government areas., saying the programme, which is being conducted in partnership with the Federal Government, is exclusively programmed for small-holder farmers.

According to him, the training programme entails provision of soft loans to the beneficiaries to purchase inputs and for settling hired farm hands. “I am happy to disclose that about 50 farmers’ co-operatives have so far registered with the company for the seed multiplication programme being

implemented along with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,” he says.

“WACOT had targeted 4,500 farmers for 2014 and this covers about 10,000 hectares of land to be put into cultivation in the year,” he explains.

Dhayal calls on the farmers to take advantage of the free training, extension services rendered by the company, highly subsidised seeds and other inputs to increase cotton yield per hectare.

In his address at the occasion, Subir Dey, general manager of the company, expresses happiness over the performance of the farmers and their efforts in the immediate past farming season, noting that although the total seed cotton received was not up to expectation, the quality of the cotton seed was free from adulteration.

ADEOLA AJAKAIYE