Sustainability
We are very passionate about ensuring all our activities are productive, positive and enduring. To us at Saro Agrosciences, Sustainability involves us employing innovative techniques to meet society’s present food and fiber needs without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their own needs.
We prioritize agricultural solutions are environmentally friendly, economically viable, and socially just for all segments of the society. We are committed to deploying new and improved techniques that will improve the production yield of our farmers whilst ensuring only safe and healthy produce are churned out; thus contributing to improved quality of life for farmers and consumers.
Sustainability: Core of Our Business
At Saro Agrociences Ltd, sustainability is at the core of how we chose to do business. We are irrevocably committed to focusing our activities in endeavors that will impact the lives of millions of Nigerian smallholder farmer, thereby accelerating the collective achievement of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 1, 2 3 and 6.
Our Sustainability approach is hinged on the following pillars
• Poverty Eradication, Food Security and Safety
• Crop & Environmental Safety
• Value Chain Activities and Youth Empowerment
Poverty Eradication, Food Security and Safety
At Saro Agrosciences, we understand that improving agricultural productivity is the main pathway out of poverty. Nigeria produces the bulk of her food by smallholders’ farmers who are underprivileged, lacking access to critical information required for their agricultural activities, with limited access to inputs, support services, markets and credit.
The above challenges have hampered agricultural productivity in Nigeria, and in line with our strategy, our internal operations are well integrated to sustainably impact the yield and livelihood of the Nigeria farmers through the following initiatives:
• Geographical Spread and Closeness to the farmer:
We address farmers’ access to quality inputs and support services through our geographical spread across the agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. Our distribution capability, service centers with vibrant team of young agronomist ensures that farmers in the farming communities across Nigeria have access to quality agro-input within walking distances from their homes.
Our farmer engagement activities are aimed at increasing the yield, income, and livelihood of the average Nigerian farmer. Some of the key ways we have achieved this so far is by:
• Collaborating with MADE to reach farmers across 4 key states with focus on crops such as Cocoa, Cassava and Maize.
• Ongoing PIND Intervention to reach 8,300 farmers along cocoa and cassava value chain on GAP trainings
• Our team of over 200 field agronomists that directly interface with millions of farmers across the country
• Creation of 15,000 Agri-preneurs who will be trained on Agronomy, Entrepreneurship and Business Knowledge to bring about societal impact in farming communities and serve as change agents
• Yield Improvement
Despite abundant land resources, Nigerian crop yield is far below Global and African average across all crop segment. This is partly a result of poor farmers’ access to improve planting materials.
At Saro Agrosciences, we realize that access to good quality seed is inevitable in the effort to ensure food security, hence our joint venture partnership with Seedco in the production and distribution of improved seed varieties to farmers capable of increasing farmers yield and their competitiveness.
Our high yielding maize seed variety is transforming the lives of maize farmers in Nigeria raising their yield from national average of 1.5 metric tons per hectare to 6-8 metric tons per hectare.
• Stewardship
We believe that transforming the lives of farmer goes beyond the provision of superior agro-input. Right usage of input is the key to improve productivity.
At Saro Agrosciences ltd, we support our farmers with right knowledge through our stewardship program that ensure that agri-input are used in a rational manner and farmer derive maximum benefits from the use of our inputs.
Product Stewardship
We ensure to make products go rigorous screenings in ensuring it meets business strategy of providing quality innovative solutions that prioritizes the safety and environment whilst improving the yield and livelihood of Nigerian farmers. Our product stewardship campaign covers three dimensions
• Farmers Safety
• We conduct trainings for farmers on the use and importance of PPE
• We also teach farmers on how to handle products
• We provide product leaflets on recommendation for use
• Provision of MSDS for farmers on request
• Detail product label to carry all needed important information.
• Consumers Safety
• Introduction of crop protection products with less residual effect and do obey the law of MRL
• Ensure that farmers observe pre-harvest interval for product application by clearing stating it on product labels
• Environmental Safety
• Our product ensure to meet legal requirement and quality standard of the country
• We undergo product trials and testing to ascertain the impact on the environment.
• We teach proper storage and disposal of product container (after use).
• We are committed to promoting integrated crop management and integrated pest management that is adaptable to the Nigerian farmers and agriculture.
Crop & Environmental Safety
At Saro Agrosciences, we are taking a different path and helping farmers move towards a farming system that is more sustainable-environmentally, economically and socially. We employ science-based practices that maximize productivity and profit while minimizing environmental damage.
Our solutions are carefully formulated with respect for the crop and environment, while we place a high premium on our stewardship program that ensure recommendation for use of agro-input are understood and followed by farmers to produce healthy and nutritious food.
Our safety focus cut across consumer, applicator and farmers’ safety with strict adherence to recommending only approve crop protection products that respect the Pre – harvest intervals and the Maximum residue levels to ensure consumer safety. We promote safe and proper application of crop protection products with adequate protective equipment to ensure farmer/applicator safety, and respect for pollinators.
We are a major collaborator with NAFDAC to lead in the stewardship programs of the industry and introducing solutions that are safe along the food value chain.
Value Chain Development & Youth Development
Through our value chain activities, Saro Agrosciences Ltd is empowering hundreds of youths in the farming communities to produce competitively with access to quality input, credit facility and market.
Our Golden Maize program which was design to produce pro-vitamin A fortified maize for industrial application, engaged over 1000 farmers linking them to finance and market.