Agriculture

NIHORT Trains Farmers on Converting Plantain, Banana Waste into Wealth

By Web News 253

By Rotimi Famakin

The National Horticultural Research Institute, NIHORT, has trained farmers in Osun State on converting plantain and banana waste into organic soap to promote environmental sustainability and boost income generation.

The training forms part of NIHORT’s efforts to reduce environmental degradation and support the global drive to curb ozone layer depletion.

Leaders of farmers’ groups selected participants based on residents’ responses across the benefiting communities.

At Ansaruldeen Grammar School, Atile, Ikire in Irewole Local Government Area, seventy-five residents participated, while twenty-seven farmers were trained at Esa Oke Farm Settlement in Obokun Local Government Area.

Seventy-seven participants drawn from five local government areas converged on Ile-Ife, while fifty-seven farmers attended the session in Orile Owu, Ayeda’ade Local Government Area.

Facilitators administered pre-test questionnaires before exposing participants to theoretical and practical sessions, followed by post-test assessments.

Principal Research Officer, NIHORT, Mrs Adebisi Akinrinola anchored the training on soap production using the saponification process.

The process involves burning plantain and banana stalks into potash, extracting alkali, and cooking it with oil over several hours to produce raw soap pellets, which can be processed into liquid or paste soap.

Participants in Ile-Ife, drawn from Ife-East, Ife-Central, Ife-South, Ife-North and Ife Area Office, converged on Akogun Olusidodo Compound Hall, while those in Orile Owu gathered at Ejemu Compound Hall.

In her remarks, Director of Research, NIHORT, Dr Oluyemisi Adebisi-Adelani said improper disposal of plantain and banana waste contributes to environmental challenges.

“I’m so happy. It is a thing I have been thinking, envisioning. Last year we came and we talked about our new product, natural from plantain and banana because they have a lot of wastes from ikire, Orile Owu, Ife Esa-Oke, in fact Osun State. They showed their interest and we wrote the proposal and our Executive Director, Professor Mohammed Lawal Attanda followed it up. He gave us the permission to go ahead and this day came and we are here.”
“Yes! Plantain and banana waste when they are disposed it contribute to what is called green house emission which also increase the depletion of the ozone layer. So this training is very important.”

Dr Adebisi-Adelani added that the initiative would provide additional income opportunities for farmers.

“It is another source of income if they can put the training into use”.

She also disclosed that NIHORT has developed improved crop varieties, including HORTITOM 1–7 tomato varieties, HORTPLAN 1 and 2 plantain varieties, HORTBAN 1 and 2 banana varieties, and HORTIONI 1 to 6 onion varieties adapted to Nigeria’s climate.

Some beneficiaries, including Rofiat Bakare and Azeezat Aribidesi, expressed appreciation to NIHORT and pledged to apply the knowledge.

“We thanked NIHORT; in fact they taught us a lot. They taught us that in waste to wealth we can use banana and plantain wastes and make organic soap which is very good to our skin and serve as our source of income. I’m ready to make use of the training effectively to increase my source of income and to improve my own health”.

The four-day training, held from the 14th to the 17th of the month, began in Ikire and ended in Orile-Owu, with participants expressing appreciation through songs and solidarity choruses.

Edited by Taiwo Akinola

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Agriculture

Nigerians need enlightenment on home gardening – Expert

By Web News 657

By Mosope Kehinde

Director of Research, National Horticultural Research Institute, NIHORT, Ibadan, Dr Olutola Oyedele has advised federal government to embark on massive enlightenment campaign on the need for every household to engage on home gardening.

Dr Oyedele gave the advice while speaking with Premier FM on the occasion of this year’s World Food Day, which is celebrated annually on the 16th of October.

The researcher who said the menace of food insufficiency in Nigeria was as a result of inflation, bad road network and hike in prices of production inputs, said the home gardening would allow families grow what they eat and meet their immediate food needs.

While commending the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme and other agricultural initiatives of the federal government, Dr Oyedele appealed to relevant authorities to subsidize fertilizers and other agricultural production inputs for farmers.

She said post harvest wastages of farm produce was a major challenge in Nigeria, calling for an holistic techniques to manage the losses which she said account for about sixty percent of food losses.

Dr Oyedele also advocated for low cottage processing industries in each local governments across the country where such industry would mop up wastages and process them for off season consumption.

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Agriculture

NIHORT Supports 150 Ido LG Farmers With Seedlings

By Web News 1419

As part of the federal government’s efforts towards ensuring food sufficiency in the country, the National Horticultural Research Institute, NIHORT, has distributed seedlings to over 150 farmers in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The farmers, who were drawn across the 10 wards of the council area, were given citrus, plantain and vegetable seeds.

Addressing the farmers on behalf of the Executive Director, NIHORT, Dr. Abayomi Olaniyan, the Head Farming System and Extension Department, Dr. Oluyemisi Adebisi-Adelani, said the gesture was born out of the need to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on farmers whose economic power had been badly affected by the pandemic.

Speaking in the same vein, Head, Extension Programme, NIHORT, Dr. Florence Olajide-Taiwo, encouraged the farmers to make good use of the seedlings as the progress of the crops would be monitored.

Chairman, Ido Local Government, Mr. Seriff Adeojo lauded NIHORT for considering farmers in the council adding that his administration would continue to works towards empowering farmers to realize the agricultural objective of the state governor.  

Some farmers, including Adekunle Adebayo, Amidu Tiamiyu and Ishola Dauda pledged to make good use of the seedlings.

Rotimi Famakin

Agriculture

FG Supports Small-Scale Farmers In Oyo With Farm Inputs

By Web News 1204

Federal Government has disbursed seeds and seedlings to fifty small-scale farmers in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. 

The seeds and seedlings included fifty citrus seeds, fifty sachets of Amarantus seeds and five hundred plantain suckers.

Distributing the seeds to the farmers at Ibadan North West Local Government Secretariat, Onireke, the Executive Director, National Horticultural Research Institute, NIHORT, Dr. Abayomi Olaniyan said the gesture was to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on small scale farmers. 

Speaking through one of the Assistant Directors of the Institute, Dr. Adebisi Adelani, Dr. Olaniyan stated that the move would equally improve food security as well as eradicate poverty.

He assured that other small-scale farmers from other local councils and states would also benefit from the distribution of the seeds and seedlings. 

Chairman, Ibadan North West Local Government, Alhaji AbdulRahmon Adepoju appealed to the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the seeds and seedlings so as to check over-dependence of food items from other states.  Rotimi Famakin

Agriculture

NIHORT Trains Farmers on Plaintain, Banana, Mushroom Production

By Web News 1042

Nigerians have been advised to key into the transformation agenda of the present administration by embracing agriculture. 

Chairman, NIHORT Governing Board, Major General Mohammed Garba, retired, stated this while declaring open, a three-day training programme on the mushroom, plantain and banana rapid multiplication at the national horticultural and Research Institute, Ibadan.

Major General Garba noted that the present administration of President Mohammadu Buhari has identified agriculture as a critical tool in job creation. He implored the participants to go through the training with all seriousness so as to empower themselves and families.

Radio Nigeria’s correspondent reports that 50 participants from all over the country, including women and youth, are currently undergoing a three-day training on plantain, banana rapid multiplication and mushroom production at NIHORT, Idi-Ishin, Ibadan.

Welcoming the participants, the Chief Executive Officer, NIHORT, Dr. Abayomi Olaniyan noted that plantain business requires small capital to begin and could generate a lot of income to farmers.

Dr. Olaniyan also maintained that the training was imperative to educate the farmers on planting non-infested plantain and banana suckers for optimal yield.

He said that mushroom business which is known for its medicinal value, could also serve as a foreign exchange earner for the farmers. 

The NIHORT boss added that cash incentives would be made available to the participants to support them.

Three participants, Babatunde Ladipo of Ibadan, Oyo State, Mrs. Aisha Yusuf of Niger State and Olukayode Omiyale also of Ibadan, Oyo State said the training would them make something of their lives.

Jeffrey Ahonmisi

Agriculture

NIHORT Sensitises Ona-Ara Farmers on Use of Agrochemicals

By Web News 910

As part of efforts towards boosting crop production in Nigeria, about thirty-five farmers in Badeku Community in Ona-Ara local government have been sensitized on the safe use of agrochemicals.

The programme was organized by the National Horticultural Research Institute, NIHORT, Ibadan.

Dr. Eniola Oyedeji during the training

In a welcome address, the head of the team, Dr. Taiwo Olajide said sensitisation was organized due to low knowledge of vegetable farmers on dangers associated with body exposure to agrochemicals.

In an interview, the guest lecturer, who is also a NIHORT research scientist in agrochemical, Dr. Eniola Oyedeji said it became imperative for farmers to protect themselves during the application of pesticides in the vegetable farms because of the long term effects on the body system.

  • A cross-section of attendees at the training
  • A cross-section of attendees at the training

Some of the farmers appreciated the training describing it as an eye-opener.

Rotimi Famakin

Agriculture

FAO, NIHORT Collaborate to Combat “Tuta Absoluta”

By Web News 1142

Two agricultural projects have been inaugurated to address the problem of Tomato pests in Nigeria.

The projects sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO of the United Nations was executed by the National Horticultural Research Institute, NIHORT.

Radio Nigeria correspondent, Rotimi Famakin who was at NIHORT, Idi Ishin, Ibadan reports that the projects are aimed at providing organic and local methods of controlling tomato pest known as “Tuta Absoluta”.

His report.

Rotimi Famakin