With the aim to enhance farm output in Nigeria, a week-long training workshop on Global Positioning System (GPS) was recently conducted for Coordinators and Assistant Coordinating Officers of West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP), drawn from several universities, research institutes and Agricultural Development Projects across the country.
The workshop which held in Kaduna, was aimed at acquainting participants with Precision farming techniques in terms of using technologies such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing, and Yield Monitors Guidance Systems for various rate application.
Speaking at the event, the National Project Coordinator of WAAPP, Prof. Damian Chikwendu, explained Precision Agriculture as an integrated crop management system that attempts to determine the kind and amount of input which the actual crop needs for small areas within a farm field.
Emphasizing the need for accurate measurement of farm sizes, track project activities and sites, Prof. Chikwendu said, the precision system of agriculture  is often referred to as GPS (Global Position System) based agriculture, variable-rate farming, precision farming, site-specific farming, among others.
According to him, Precision Farming is, “doing the right thing, at the right place and at the right time” and thus starts with the ability of good managers and operators to effectively utilize materials and equipment such as planters, harvesters, fertilizer applicators etc. to enhance farm output.
While commending the effort of WAAPP for initiating the training, Aminu Usman, the Lead Consultant of Clemence and Geoconsult – the training partner for the workshop spoke on the importance of the Global Positioning System, noting that the training would expose participants to unending possibilities and applications in everyday field operations.
Based on the relevance of the workshop, participants were urged to seize the opportunity of the platform to improve their knowledge to enable them join hands in the current drive to take the country to a level of sustainable agricultural development and food security.