Accomplishing More Than You Can Imagine

By Amanda Tugga, Communication Intern, EWS-KT Nigeria.

KANO STATE, NIGERIA – “If you’ve never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, grow vegetables,” advises Umar Ubale, a 37-year-old farmer from Lausu village, located in Rano Local Government Area.

Umar is one of the very few farmers in the Lausu community to adopt modern vegetable production this year. 

“Prior to this year, we used to purchase local seeds and agro inputs from a faraway village,” said Umar. He used traditional farming techniques and seeds until he saw an East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation demonstration field in a nearby community. “Myself and a neighboring farmer, Ibrahim Yabkai, came across this mind-blowing intervention while we were passing through the Bunkure community.” 

Seeing the growth, adaptability, and good yields from the tomato demo informed their desire to experience this agricultural transformation in their own fields. Umar and Ibrahim made further enquiries and were directed to EWS-KT.  

With the support of EWS-KT Nigeria Team Lead Ibrahim Semiu Olatunde, Umar and his friend Ibrahim planted Padma F1 tomato seeds and received guidance on techniques such as bed preparation, transplanting, fertilization, pest and disease management, and mulching, as well as how to trellis tomato plants for better yields.

Pictured above is Umar’s first harvest. With him are friends who gathered to witness his harvest and to share in his joy, as his tomato plot yielded beyond his imagination.

“No one in this community has ever harvested this quality and quantity of tomato on such a small piece of land in the rainy season before the intervention of EWS-KT!” Umar exclaimed. “Other farmers are making plans to switch to vegetable production after seeing my yields,” he added with a huge smile.

Demo fields are key to EWS-KT’s success. Umar was inspired to learn improved farming techniques by seeing their results in another farmer’s field. Now he is showing his own neighbors what they can accomplish with quality seeds and new skills and knowledge.

Are you interested in partnering with us to help even more farmers adopt more productive agricultural techniques? Contact us to learn more.