Gary Burtle and Esendugue Fonsah, professors of animal and dairy science and agriculture and applied economics respectively, in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, discussed their Nigerian farming project in a recent IPP Media article.
Part of the University of Georgia Tifton campus, Burtle and Fonash have now made two trips to Nigeria to work with local farmers to diversify their production and share benefits of improved nutritional status and employment opportunities.
Traveling with fellow professors and graduate students, Burtle and Fonash are introducing raising fish instead of rice, hoping to adapt their agricultural system.
“What we’ll be looking at is profitability analysis, are they going to be able to make more money with this technology than they used to, or not?” Fonsah said. “If the answer is yes, then we’re in business, because we’ll show them how to make it. It’s better than what they were making before, and that will trigger a love for the new technology and will possibly trigger the acceptance and adoption of the technology.”
The project, now in its second year, will train 200 farmers from the Kebbi and Ebonyi states of Nigeria, decreasing the cost to farmers and hopefully providing financial and nutritional gains.
