Some organisations are driving new technologies in agribusiness to help farmers and investors. DANIEL ESSIET reports.
Technology has transformed Japan’s agriculture, increased its exports and groomed new entrepreneurs. This has increased youth enterprises.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been helping rural enterprises to improve agricultural yields. Yields of rice increased from two to 6.6 tonnes per hectare.
The agency’s rice project is boosting the incomes of smallholder farmers.
Japanese companies have keyed in market-oriented smallholder producers empowerment programme aimed at improving smallholder farmers and through capacity building.
Agriculture
JICA and Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) have launched a credit scoring modelling project for smallholder farmers in Nasawara and Ondo states.
The launch was in partnership with Zowasel Inc. and Mitsubishi Corporation Nigeria Limited. The credit scoring project is implemented in Kawo village in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State and Bamikemo village in Ileoluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Area of Ondo State. It started in June, this year.
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The project would expand to other states in the near future.
Other Japanese corporations are teaming up with agricultural technology startups to facilitate access to affordable agricultural machinery for smallholder farmers.
Honda Manufacturing Nigeria Limited has been engaging agro entrepreneurs involved in farming of vegetables, spices, horticulture, cash crops, orchards and nurseries, among others.
It has introduced economical tools like ground-breaking, pulverising, furrow & ridge formation and de-weeding operations efficiently.
Managing Director, Honda Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, Hirohide Ichikawa said the future of agriculture lies in increased mechanisation of routine farm operations and helping agro entrepreneurs to boost farm productivity.
Its FQ650 power tiller makes it affordable for farmers to operate profitable daily farm operations by carrying out various farm operations such as ground-breaking, pulverising, furrow and ridge formation and deweeding operations efficiently.