The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture led Cassava Weed Management Project (IITA-CWMP) has signed an agreement with farmers in Abia, Benue, Ogun and Oyo states for the setting up of 136 demonstration farmers to them.
Under the agreements, participating farmers will make available plots of land for on-farm demonstrations and ensure that adequate security is provided during the research duration to prevent theft and cattle invasion.
Afusatu Akinware, a farmer under the partnership said the on-farm demonstrations would help the various farming communities learn better and improved weed management practices for cassava production.
“I am glad this project selected our community to gain from the knowledge on improved weed control,” Akinware said in a statement made available to BusinessDay.
Speaking for IITA-CWMP, Alfred Dixon, project leader, said the acceptance of the project by farmers was a welcome development.
“We see high enthusiasm from the farmers, meaning that we are addressing development needs,” Dickson said.
The demonstrations farms are farmer-led were farmers will keep records of the farm activities and share these records with the nominated authorized representative of IITA-CWMP.
The farmers will ensure to apply all the inputs such as fertilizer, herbicides, and planting materials provided by IITA-CWMP in the prescribed manner.
Also, the farmers will be responsible for all the cost of the farm operations such as slashing, burning, ploughing, fertilizer application, herbicides application and harvesting of the plot and will ensure to notify IITA-CWMP when the harvesting period is due and both parties will carry out harvesting of the crops.
The IITA-CWMP on its part will provide fertilizers, herbicides, and planting materials to be used on the on-farm demo plot at no cost. The project staff will carry out harvesting on the land in conjunction with farmers, and will be responsible for collating all necessary data on the on-farm demos.
All proceeds, except 30 per cent of cassava stems from the demonstration plot will go to the farmers provided the farmers keep to the terms of the agreement.
Participating farmers pledged to keep to terms and conditions of the agreements which they said would foster cooperation between them and researchers.
Last year, the project established 58 on-farm trials across the cassava producing zones of Nigeria.
Josephine Okojie
