A Chinese agricultural investment firm, Smartisan Investment Nigeria Limited, has established a new spraying technology aimed at boosting crop yield and reducing production costs for farmers in Kano State.
Speaking during a demonstration in Kura, Kura Local Government Area, Kano, on Thursday, the company’s representative, Charles Lee, said the technology, popularly referred to as agricultural spraying drums, has the capacity to replace the tedious traditional method of applying chemicals and fertiliser manually.
Lee explained the new device can perform the work of about 40 farmhands in a single day, making it possible to complete large-scale spraying within a short period of time.
According to him, the inefficiency of manual spraying often results in significant losses during pest outbreaks, as many farmers are unable to cover their farmlands within the critical period of two to three days.
“With this machine, a farmer can finish spraying 10 hectares in one day. When pests arrive, you don’t have time to waste because the damage can reach 50 per cent. This technology ensures quick response,” he said.
Lee added that the spraying system has been successfully deployed in China, Kenya, and Mozambique, increasing farmers’ harvests by 15 to 20 per cent annually. The device breaks chemicals into ultra-fine particles of about 10 micrometres, ensuring deeper penetration and full coverage of both sides of plant leaves.
He also explained that the technology reduces chemical consumption by up to 40 per cent, saving costs for farmers.
“Hand-spraying wastes a lot of chemicals. With this system, the chemical becomes fog and reaches places where human hands cannot. It reduces cost, increases yield, and is safer for the environment,” he said.
Lee apologised for the late start of the event, attributing it to logistical hitches, and said stakeholders were invited to understand the technology and its benefits.
On his part, Chairman of Kura Local Government Farmers’ Association, Usman Abdulmalik Abubakar Matawallen Kura, described the innovation as timely, saying it aligns with farmers’ struggle to meet rising production costs and labour shortages.
“This technology is coming at the right time. Many of our farmers can no longer afford labour for spraying, and pest attacks are becoming more frequent. Anything that helps us save cost and increase yield is welcome,” he said.
He appealed to government agencies and agricultural development partners to support local farmers in accessing the equipment.
“If this machine can truly reduce chemical use and increase harvest, the government should help us make it affordable. Farmers in Kura are ready to embrace new technology,” he added.
Some farmers who witnessed the demonstration also expressed optimism. A rice farmer, Malam Kabiru Sani, said the device could be a “game changer” for farmers with large farmlands.
“Sometimes we spend two to three days spraying just five hectares. By then, pests have already done damage. If this machine works the way they showed us, it will save us a lot of loss,” he said.
Another farmer, Hajiya Rabi’u Ibrahim, who cultivates maize and vegetables, said the reduction in chemical use will benefit both farmers and consumers.
“Chemicals are very expensive now. If this machine can do the same work with less chemical, that is good for us. It also means the food we harvest will have less chemical residue,” she said.
Farmers at the event urged Smartisan Investment Nigeria Limited to work with local cooperatives to provide flexible payment plans for access to the technology, noting that many smallholders may not be able to afford outright purchase.