Considering the economic and environmental potentials of vertical farming, agriculture analysts opine that Nigeria can, through its application, improve its agricultural production, create employment opportunities in urban societies via the value chain, and consequently foster economic growth.
Angel Adelaja, chief executive officer and founder of Fresh Direct Produce and Agro-Allied Services, an ag-tech company that produces premium organic produce using vertical farming technology, explained that the eco-friendly agricultural practice guarantees 15 times higher yield.
According to her, a 20-foot container can grow the same amount as one-and-a-half football pitches with a nurturing period of four weeks or less.
The Abuja-based entrepreneur, whose vertical farming practice is done using shipping containers, said the process has enabled her to grow a variety of products that do not normally produce well in the Nigerian traditional farming environment. She added that the farming method guarantees that crops can be grown all year round, irrespective of the season, and also enhances soil fertility and resource conservation.
Samson Ogbole, team lead at Soilless Farm Lab, an innovative agri and foodtech startup which also employs vertical farming in the production of some of its crops, expressed optimism that vertical farming, aside from its remarkable potential, is one of the farming methods Nigeria needs to begin implementing to attain food security in the near future.
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