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From Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has trained 250 Taraba crop farmers on new techniques of cultivation that is aimed at improving yield and tackle food shortages in communities.
In an address to the event in Jalingo on Wednesday, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Mr. Temitope Fadeshemi described the increasing level of poverty in Nigeria as alarming, and explained that the training became imperative to assist farmers improve yield and add value to the crops.
The Permanent Secretary who was represented by Dr. Ayuba Zira, the State Coordinator of the Taraba office, said the training which comes with empowerment was targeted at verified and validated beneficiaries of the national poverty reduction with growth strategy of the ministry.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our collective commitment to uplifting the lives of our smallholder farmers and fostering sustainable agricultural practices. These farmers are not just the backbone of our agricultural sector, they are also the heartbeat of our nation’s prosperity ” he said.
According to Fedesheme, the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) in collaboration with the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Services (FDAE) has diligently enumerated and validated the farmers for participation in the transformation program.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Mr Sale Pavali who led other Directors to the event commended the federal government for support farmers of the state.
“The program is not merely an investment in agriculture, it is an investment in the future of our state.
“As we equip these farmers with tools to enhance productivity, improve resilience and embrace sustainable practices, we are laying the foundation for a more functional and prosperous Agricultural sector” he said.
He warned the beneficiaries against saling the inputs or cooking the maize and rice seeds given to them for planting.
Daily Sun reports that the farmers who participated in the one day training were given bags of maize and rice treated seeds as well as improved varieties of pepper, okro and tomatoes for dry season cultivation.
