Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited has begun an agricultural extension services programme in which young university graduates are recruited to educate local farmers about cropping and how to utilise fertilisers to boost their yields.
The programme, which is also known as Indorama Agronomists Programme targets more than 500 small-scale and subsistence farmers in Rivers State every month.
“It’s an extension service program where agronomists educate farmers on the best method and practice for farming on different crops. Crops like Maize, cassava, Yam, Rice, etc,” says Goya Elechi, a farmer and resident of Agbonchia, one of the host communities of Indorama.
He said farmers are taught how to use fertilisers correctly, how to use and apply insecticides, herbicides, and more.
“Free soil test is also available. If you are a new farmer, the agronomist will help you develop your farm as long as you use Indorama Fertilizers,” he added.
Barbara Eson, one of the agronomists, proudly displays her training bag, polo and kits as she sets out for one of the training programmes.
“Of course, I am an Indorama agronomist and you will see me with this polo everyday,” Barbara declares.
She’s also displaying her bag in which she has crop folders, flyers and fertiliser samples. “We teach you on maize, cassava, different crops and the types of fertilisers we have and how to apply them,” she says.
Indorama was the preferred investor in the Eleme Petrochemicals Company Limited when the Nigerian government put it up for privatisation in 2006.
About ten years after taking over the plant, Indorama built the fertiliser plant within the complex and has since begun exportation of fertilisers and shipping the products to northern parts of Nigeria by road.
However, local farmers in Rivers State have very low appreciation of the benefits of applying fertilisers to their crops. That is one of the reasons why Indorama is reaching out to them.
