1,000 Farmers Empowered

The Federal Government says that building capacities of Nigeria Farmers in modern agriculture is fundamental to the actualization of the nations self-reliant and sustainable Food Security/sufficiency.

To this end, well-over thirty two thousand (32,000) disease free improved varieties of Plantain/Banana nurseries/suckers have been distributed to about one thousand (1000) prime farmers including Women and Youth Entrepreneurs in four Pilot States in the Federation. The States include Abia, Delta, Oyo and Cross River among others.

The Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina announced this through the Deputy Director, Horticulture Transformation Value Chain and the National Project Co-coordinator, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO-UN) in the Ministry, Mr. Michael Kanu during a-six day Trainer of Trainees Workshop for Farmers held in Abia State Capital, Umuahia, recently. The Workshop was entitled “strengthening Plantain/Banana production in Nigeria for Domestic Consumption and Export”.

According to the Agriculture Minister Dr. Adesina, the Workshop was organized by the Ministry in collaboration with the FAO-UN under the Technical Cooperation Project, aimed at mainstreaming horticulture in the nation’s engine of growth for economic diversity, poverty reduction, wealth and job creation.

The Minister expressed Nigeria’s profound gratitude to FAO-UN Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Louise Sethswealo for supporting the campaign for global food security especially, in Nigeria and urged it not to relent.

Earlier, the FAO-UN Country Representative who spoke through the Desk Officer, Technical Cooperation Project, FAO-UN, Mrs. Adeola Akinrinlola, observed that the Workshop was organized to acquaint Farmers in Umuahia, Abia State with the latest Plantain/Banana Production Techniques and Post harvest Technologies in order to make farming business a profitable venture.

The FAO-UN country representative disclosed that in a bid to accomplish the UN Agricultural support mandate to developing countries, improve in the technical skills of farmers to overcome production constraints and to establish pilot Field Planting Nurseries/suckers as a source of Tissue Culture planting materials beyond the project life time, FAO-UN provided a funding grant of $477,000 Dollars (N77m) to Nigeria`s FMARD to compliment the shortfall in her budgetary provision of $1.4m towards funding this project.

She gave her words that beneficiaries of the Plantain/Banana farmers Capacity Building Workshop should make maximum use of the knowledge gained from the Training session to chart a future for themselves as well as contribute to nation building.

Reacting, three Participants at the Workshop from the local Governments in Abia State, Mrs. Kenneth Kanu, Onuoha Chikwendu and Mrs. Mercy Okwum, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for showcasing the workshop; noting that they are better equipped now with exposure to new farming technology and promised to translate all they have learnt into practice for increased Plantain/Banana production.

Lectures on “Tissue Culture and Plantlet Production” and “Entrepreneurship and Business Management” of post harvest Plantain Production were delivered by two eminent Agricultural Scientific Consultants/Experts from the National Horticultural Research Institute, Ibadan, Dr Sunday Akinyemi and Dr Awoyemi Taiwo to the participants

The highlight of the Workshop was the distribution and handover of about 100 improved Disease Free Plantain/Banana Nurseries/Suckers to each of the 100 Participants drawn from the LGAs to enable them develop private model Farms in their respective Communities.

The Workshop also witnessed the inspection of Sites for the establishment of Pilot Plantain/Banana farms in the four selected Pilot Local Government Areas comprising of Arochukwu/Ohafia, Bende/Ikwuano, Ukwa/Ngwa and Umuahia North and that of ADP Central Nursery for Abia State to serve as source replication centers for the State.

De Edge Farms