Farmers particularly large scale in Gombe state have been trained and encouraged on the new trend in Agriculture Commodity trading and warehouse management aimed at enabling them to maximize profit on their produce.
The aim of the training according to Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCE), organizers of the one-day training, Mrs.Zaheera Baba-Ari was to provide food and enhance its security in the country.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the trading held in Gombe on Thursday, The MD who was represented by the Operation Manager of NCE, Mr Benson Lawal said that, the training was a collaboration between the Exchange and Sandstone Associate Limited aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the farmers in Gombe state.
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He also said that the training will bring Nigerian farmers out of poverty by teaching them how to store their produce and trade it effectively at the time they want particularly before the next farming season for seasonal farmers.
The MD added that “We will show them how to Store their produce effectively, pending the time they are ready to sell the product as well as encourage them to have interest in embracing Commodity exchange,”.
Farmers According to the MD, have been producing without yielding a positive result because they do not know how to preserve their produce thereby have nothing to show and in some instances lose their investments.
The NCE added that the training will equally help them sell their produce at reasonable prices and then get the better income which will enhance their living standard.
She added that effort has been put in place to ensure that Gombe state government provides a warehouse for the storage of commodity that will boost agricultural production in the state.
Zaheera Baba-Ari further said that the agrarian nature of the state and central position in the region has attracted Nigeria commodity exchange to key into such programme for other states in the zone to benefit as well.
In his remarks, Gombe State Commissioner of Trade and Industry, Alh.Nasiru Aliyu assured that the state government is committed to providing 25 warehouses across the state to be used for the purpose of commodity storage as is done in the new age of technology.
He added that having come to terms that the sustainable agricultural sector is required for food security, the state government has continued to prioritize the sector by ensuring that all needed facilities were provided to the farmers.
A total of 200 farmers drawn from the 11 Local Government Areas of the state participated in the training after which they are expected to practice what they must have learned during the training.
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