The Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, has empowered tomato farmers with essential knowledge on good agricultural practices (GAPs).
The training, in collaboration with the Institution Based Research (IBR) TETFund Grant Project, with the theme: “Result Dissemination and Post-Training on Good Agricultural Practices for Tomato Farmers,” was aimed at enhancing sustainable farming techniques, boosting productivity, and improving crop quality while minimising environmental impact.
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, reiterated the university’s commitment to advancing tomato cultivation through research.
Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), Prof. Kola Adebayo, the Vice-Chancellor encouraged farmers to actively engage with the training sessions and leverage the expertise shared by FUNAAB researchers.
In his address, the Director of AMREC, Prof. Jacob Olaoye, stressed the importance of continuous dialogue between farmers and researchers to improve tomato farming outcomes.
Also, the Director of the Directorate of Research, Innovations, and Partnerships (DRIP), Prof. Mutiu Busari, underscored the role of technology in modern agriculture, noting that mobile applications could assist farmers in assessing soil fertility and determining suitable fertiliser types.
One of the facilitators, Dr. Olatunbosun Soetan, highlighted findings from a study on GAPs, revealing a gap in awareness among tomato farmers and advocating for more training initiatives, and another one, Dr. James Fadeyi, focused on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies to mitigate crop losses, including Dr. Olanrewaju Oni who discussed the impact of biostimulants and fertiliser types on okra growth and yield, offering insights applicable to tomato farming.
The session was well attended by AMREC staff, including the Deputy Director, Prof. Olalekan Oyekunle, as well as Tomato farmers from the immediate community, all eager to apply the knowledge gained to their farming practices.
