By Kogi Rebel.
The Kogi State Government announced the entry of the state into Green House Farming methodology on the 22nd of March, 2018. T
he visionary driver for the Agricultural sector in the State who also doubles as the Commissioner for Agriculture, Kehinde Oloruntoba hinted in summary, the bullet points of his Ministry’s ongoing projects. In his words, as revealed by social media Influencer, Dr. Tosin Jide, he hinted: “We are partnering with an Israeli company to empower 1,000 youths by helping them to establish 1,000 smaller Green House Farms. We have empowered over 10,00p people through Fadama and Anchor Borrowers program which is a combination of Kogi State and Federal Government efforts.
“We are Set to empower another 5000 using Anchor borrowers program, set to empower 1,000 youths in Aqua culture (fish farming) in April, this year. We are building a 50 tones per day Rice mill in Omi Dam, Kogi West. We have Acquired 40 tractors and other implements to mechanize agriculture across the three Senatorial districts of the state.”
On Policy, he said:
“We are currently Working with NNPC to build bio fuel refinery that will create job for over two million people. We have Cleared lands for farmers in some of our local government areas of the state. We have brought in Guinness Nigeria Plc, Dulphil Nigeria plc, OLAMS Investment, Nigeria Flour Mills, building massive out-growers scheme for our farmers. We are targeting 100,000 jobs under this scheme. We have constructed 600 ponds across the state to empower our youths in Aqua culture.
“Our interventions have made fertilizer, seedlings and other inputs available to Farmers at reduced pricing. Last year, we established a Cassava city in Osara to boost our cassava production. We attracted the program, APPEALS to the state. It is set to empower over 10,000 youths with Agro processing machines. We have attracted the Federal Government of Nigeria to cultivate over 10,000 hectares of Cashew Plantation in the state. They have commenced work on it already. Our extension officers are alive to their responsibilities now as they hold our farmers accountable to modern agricultural practices.”
According to AgricAcademy, a Green House Farm is a building with glass sides and a glass roof in which plants that need protection from or are sensitive to weather are grown. A greenhouse is different from a typical farm which consists of an area of land used for growing crops or keeping animals.
Greenhouses are enclosed spaces used for growing crops only. Greenhouses make it possible to regulate the temperature and humidity of an enclosed space therefore making it possible for certain crops to grow and thrive regardless of the external weather conditions.
Greenhouse farming in Nigeria is the business of working on and managing the growing of crops and plants inside a greenhouse. Greenhouse farming technology makes it possible to grow tropical crops (pineapples, tomatoes, peppers) in the cold regions of Russia and France. And in the reverse direction, temperate crops (apples, cabbages, blackberries) can also be grown in hot regions of Nigeria, Dubai and Israel using greenhouse farming technology.
Greenhouse farming is very profitable and has become very popular in countries like Netherland, Belgium, New Zealand, and Germany etc. For instance, Netherland have over 3,000 greenhouse companies that operate over 9,000 hectares of greenhouses and employ some 150,000 workers producing €7.2 billion worth of vegetables, fruits, plants and flowers.
Advantages of Greenhouse Farming There are many advantages of growing crops and plants in a greenhouse. Some of these advantages are:
1. Plants are protected from unfavorable weather conditions that affect their growth
2. Plant environment are better managed to reduce the harmful effect of pest and diseases
3. Plants can be grown and made available throughout the year
4. Plants and crop can be grown in commercial quantities in urban areas or in the city
5. Improved harvest and production yields due to better management and control of plant environment.
In conclusion, the policy drive and implementation of the New Direction Government of Yahaya Bello seem to be breaking more boundaries in Agriculture, financing the unofficial economic sector, increasing farming opportunities for the youths and joining global economies in contemporary farming techniques. When the Green House projects are established, crops that can only be grown outside Nigeria would be grown in Kogi State.
