Lagos State Government Provides Maize Seedlings to Farmers to Improve Harvest
Agriculture plays a significant role to both the people and the economy of a nation. Agriculture is the pillar of a nation’s economy. In addition to providing food and raw materials, Agriculture provides employment opportunities to a very large percentage of the population.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Honorable Gbolahan Lawal, said that the donation is part of the government’s efforts to support farmers and minimize the effect of COVID-19 on food production.
Read also: Dangote Cement Donates 35 Operational Vehicles to Foster Security in Lagos State
According to the Commissioner, maize, being one of the most versatile crops in West Africa, is an important source of carbohydrate, protein, iron, Vitamin B and minerals. He stated that the DMR and LSR hybrid seeds are simple to cultivate and easy to maintain as they have an early maturing window of 75 days.
“With all the qualities, there will be a better and higher yield than what farmers had been having at harvests thus culminating in more profit. The effect is that the farmers have seeds to plant amid the COVID-19 pandemic where they’ve been finding it difficult to get good seeds and inputs. Also, the seeds are hybrid which means that they can multiply it for late maize and next year’s planting seasons. Hybrid maize usually generates high yields, increased value, and reduced production costs. The plants are bigger, stronger, and more vigorous,” the Commissioner emphasized.
The Commissioner for Agriculture explained that apart from the early maturity benefit of the hybrid maize, it is resistant to leaf defoliation & cob diseases and requires minimal amount of fertilizer dosage.
Given the importance of maize farming in Nigeria, the government is continuously making efforts geared towards increasing maize farming yields per unit area of land and extending areas where maize can be grown, especially the cultivation of dry areas that can be improved through irrigation.