AA Timo

02/06/2025

🌍 We’re Getting Ready for World Environment Day 2025.🌱June 5th, 2025

I and my colleagues are actively preparing to mark this important day a global reminder of our collective responsibility to protect and restore our environment.

22/05/2025

Trees absorb carbon for years, helping clean our air.
But when they're cut or burned, that carbon is released back into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Let’s restore the balance.
For every tree you cut, plant two in its place.

Reforest. Renew. Regrow.
Our future depends on the actions we take today.

09/05/2025

01/05/2025

This little boy gets passion for football

30/04/2025

TOGETHER WE CAN BUILD A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT.

Today, the GHG trainers participated in a refresher training on Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPM). The session was aimed at equipping trainers with updated techniques and strategies to discourage the development of pests and the spread of diseases while minimizing risks to human health and the environment.

Benefits of IPM

Improved crop profitability through better pest control measures and appropriate use of crop protection products.

Ensures stable, reliable, and quality crop yields.

Reduces the severity of pest infestations.

Increases consumer confidence in the safety and quality of food and fibre products.

Sustains market share and market access.

Extends the lifecycle of agricultural products.

Decreases the resistance of pests to crop protection products and biotech plants.

Enhances public confidence and the credibility of the crop protection industry.

Components of IPM

1. Prevention: Focuses on preventing pest build-up through a range of practical, locally-suited strategies.
2. Monitoring: Involves regular scouting of crops for pests (insects, diseases, and weeds) and assesses the presence of natural control mechanisms to determine if and when intervention is necessary.
3. Intervention: Applies control measures only when necessary, using physical, biological, or chemical methods that aim to preserve crop value with minimal environmental impact.

Methods of Pest Control

1. Cultural/Physical Control: Employing farming practices that reduce pest establishment and survival.
2. Biological Control: Utilizing natural predators, parasites, or pathogens to manage pest populations.
3. Chemical Control: The judicious use of pesticides when other control methods are insufficient.
4. Mechanical Control: Using physical means like traps, barriers, or manual removal to control pests.

Conclusion
The refresher training on Integrated Pest and Disease Management provided valuable insights into modern pest management practices. Trainers are now better equipped to implement IPM strategies that ensure healthy crop production while safeguarding human health and the environment.

30/04/2025

GOOD NEWS FOR CROSS-RIVERIANS

CROSSRIVER STATE GOVERNMENT. SIGNS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH JR FARMS TO SCALE UP COFFEE PRODUCTION

By Blessing Enagu

In a major step toward revitalizing the coffee industry, the Cross River State Government has entered into a strategic partnership with JR Farms Nigeria Limited to pilot the development of commercial coffee plantations in the highlands of Obanliku and Boki Local Government Areas.

Signed on April 25, 2025, the agreement outlines a comprehensive plan to increase coffee production to 110,000 metric tonnes annually over the next five years, making Cross River a leading player in Nigeria’s emerging coffee economy.

Under the agreement, JR Farms will provide technical support for the cultivation of high-yield Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties, register over 2,000 smallholder farmers, and offer continuous training, capacity building, and access to market infrastructure such as coffee washing stations. The initiative adopts a “Private Sector–Farmers” model that links farmers with industry expertise and global market access.

The Partnership follows a fact-finding mission by the CEO of JR farms, Mr. Olawale Rotimi, who visited several communities in the State to assess suitability and engage with stakeholders. The visit affirmed the region's potential for growing high quality Arabica and Robusta coffee, given its unique highland climate and rich soil.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, said the agreement is designed to boost farmers’ productivity, open up new markets, and ensure that specialty coffee grown in Cross River State meets global quality standards.

“The Cross River State Government recognises that coffee is a vital foreign exchange earner. With support from JR Farms, we expect monumental progress in coffee production. Leveraging on JR Farms' existing market pe*******on, the issue of market access would not be a problem,” the Commissioner said.

He also emphasized that the coffee initiative is expected to create employment opportunities for women and youths, thereby contributing to rural development and poverty reduction.

JR Farms, with its expertise in the coffee value chain and presence in global markets, is expected to play a pivotal role in transforming Cross River’s highlands into thriving coffee hubs. The seedlings, suited to local climatic conditions, will be delivered to farmers through the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development within eight weeks of order.

This partnership aligns with the state’s broader agricultural transformation strategy and represents a bold step toward achieving economic diversification and sustainable farming in Cross River State.

29/04/2025

28/04/2025

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