The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), on Monday in Uyo trained120 women from four local government areas of Akwa Ibom on improved methods of cassava cultivation.
The training was facilitated by the state coordinator of NALDA, Mr Imoh Imoh, to introduce women to modern ways of cultivating cassava for value addition.
Imoh said that the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, was keen on agricultural development to ensure food sufficiency in the country.
He said that the women were selected from Abak, Ini, Obot Akara and Oruk Anam local government areas of the state.
The coordinator said that the improved method of cassava cultivation is to achieve increased yields, which must begin with selection of high quality planting materials.
Imoh said that the training would expose the participants to modern methods of growing and processing cassava for better yields and profit.
He urged the women to count themselves lucky for being the first set of farmers selected from millions to benefit from the training.
The resource person, Dr. Bennedict Eka, said that cassava plant cultivation could be done between March and April in Akwa Ibom, while the second planting season could be done in October every year.
Eka told the trainees that cassava could be planted manually or using mechanised methods, adding that for effectiveness and optimum plant operation of cassava, mechanisation and planting on ridges were recommended.
He reminded participants that during the planting of cassava, they should handle the stem with care and ensure that the buds point upwards, stressing that this was where the cutting sprouts.
He advised that to ensure improved cassava yields, farmers must plant good cuttings on loamy soil with good spacing.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), two of the trainees, Mrs Destiny Uwem and Mrs Nseneno Umanah , said they would apply the knowledge learnt during the training in their cassava planting this farming season.
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