Fertilize and Water Crops

The biggest problems involved farmers not using fertilizer on their crops. i did corn rows samples and corn clumps with with the raised soil with and without fertilizer so farmers could see the difference. they were amazed at the huge crops fertilizer gave yet still refused to use fertilizer. the nigerian goverment subsudized the fertilizer so it did not cost much. yet, farmers would not spend their money to buy fertilizers as they would have to wait weeks to get the money back when selling their crop. backward thinking i could never over come. so a different system must be put in place such  as giving out free fertilizer or working with co-ops that would need setting up. the co-ops could give credit to farmers and get paid back when the harvest comes in. peanuts in the north would do much better with fertilizers. coco, too, perhaps. also, drilled wells are badly needed for water. people taking water from dirty rivers and streams to drink, cook with and wash clothes with is unexceptable. and farmers could do more crops if there was year around water-- ar least in growing vegetables during the 5 month dry seasons.  and better varieties of vegetables, especilly tomatoes and hot peppers need to be introduced. tomatoes must be varieties that will grow well with the local climates. i had my mother mail me tomatoe seeds from wisconsin that did very well in wisconsin yet did so badly in owo, nigeria that i was lucky to get one small tomatoe on a scragly plant. so would need new varieties developed for the local climates or find varieties that would do better than varieties now grown there. tomatoes are made into stews. work must be done to improve that problem. the same is true for okra and other vegetables grown there.  in addition, farmers must learn to plant corn in rows--not in raised clumps as so much land is wasted that way.

Thank-You.  Jerry Johnson