Dry Land Farming Techniques & Agricultural Production Training

Candlelight Sheikh team conducted three days of training from 8th  to 10th September 2018 in IGAD Sheikh Technical Veterinary School (ISTVS) conference hall in Sheikh town, the training concerns about improving dry land farming techniques and enhancing agricultural production including post-harvesting handling as well as reducing post harvesting losses in Himan and Aaryale villages. The trainees were 50 farmers including female farmers.

The training was interested and almost all the farmer participants were interactive during the three days of the training whereby all of them involved the discussion and group works.

The main purpose of the training include improving crop production and empowering the participants with skills and knowledge about how to reduce post harvesting losses.

Specific Objectives:

  • To train 50 farmers (both male and female) to empower their knowledge and skills towards good agriculture practices.
  • To train farmers the best cropping systems those farmers should adapt during cultivation of their farms.
  • To train farmers Factors Affecting Cropping Systems and how to solve them.
  • To Support trainees with necessary knowledge about how the farmers can use IPM techniques.
  • To teach the farmers how they can use natural techniques to minimize harmful insects and pests
  • To train the farmers how to treat farm produce diseases.
  • To teach the farmers how they can select seeds which have good quality in terms of germination rate
  • To teach the farmers cleaning their farms from previous farm residues to decrease the impact of insect devastation
  • To train farmers types of soil and how can be managed the soil fertility
  • To train them how fertilizers are applied and the suitable time to be applied.
  • To train farmers how to make compost and organic fertilizers.
  • To make the farmers understand seed conservation techniques, treatments and storage.
  • To teach the farmers harvesting techniques and how the post-harvest losses should be reduced.

Achievements:

The training ended on 10th of September 2018 and despite short time of training farmers achieved and gained a numerous skills and knowledge as briefed below:

  1. Farmers gained all good agricultural practices despite short time.
  2. Farmers achieved how and when should be adapt the application of traditional control methods of insects and pest as well as when it is necessary to be used insecticides and pesticides.
  3. Farmers gained that there are other cropping systems which is necessary to be cultivated and adapted.
  4. During the training farmers became familiar about how to make compost in order to increase their crop production.
  5. Farmers learned types of soil and the soil that is suitable for cereal crops such Sorghum and maize.
  6. Farmers gained skills concerned seed, seed quality, treatments and storages
  7. Farmers achieved and actually appreciated skills concerned crop harvesting techniques and the best way should be adapted to reduce post harvesting losses.
  8. During the training farmers identified some new crops such as millets that they have not adapted yet and really appreciated and mentioned that will begin to cultivate soon as soon as they receive the seed.