Farmers adopting modern farming technologies in Kogi APPEALS project

The Kogi State project coordinator of the Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support (APPEALS), Dr Sanni Abdullahi Ozomata has said that the project is exposing farmers in the state to modern farming technologies.

This is just as the Cross Rivers State APPEALS project said it has trained about 450 women and youths on Cocoa production.

Ozomata said the farmers were also being trained on capacity building aside supporting them to increase their productivity and processing.

Dr Ozomata made this known during the APPEALS Project Facilitators Training held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

APPEALS Project is an initiative of the Nigerian Government with support from the World Bank.

He said the 3 main value chains in Kogi state are cassava, cashew and rice, which they have identified most of the farmers in the state.

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Furthermore, he said the project has 5 components which include productivity enhancement, agro-processing, infrastructural support to rural areas, technical knowledge and capacity building.

“We are not just supporting farmers by increasing their productivity or by boosting their processing activity, we are also trying to build their capacity.

“We need to let them know the new technologies that they should start making use of, not just about supporting them with inputs and other land preparation support, so what we just did was to include capacity building for them to make sure that what they do in the past that is not yielding result, they try something better for them to get a better yield, that’s what we do for cashew farmers.

“This project has 3 segments which include production, processing and marketing, so we are supporting all through.

“APPEALS Project in Kogi state is supporting both farmers that are into production, we are supporting those that are into processing and those that are into marketing, so, it’s all-encompassing.

“We are linking those that are producing to the processors and we are also linking those that are producing to the marketers and linking the processors to marketers.

The Cross River State Coordinator of APPEALS project, Mr Marcel Agim said the state’s priority value chains are cocoa, rice and poultry.

He said the APPEALS project in Cross River state and the government work very closely.

He said so far, the project has trained about 450 women and youths in the state and the training is ongoing.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE