IFAD-VCDP, AFPI empowers youth with skills in rice seed production technologies

THE International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD-VCDP) in collaboration with Agriculture and Food Production Initiative (AFPI), on Monday began a training for youths in rice seed production technologies.

The training, holding at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, is aimed at equipping the IFAD-VCDP youths with modern techniques in rice seed production, emphasising best practices for seed selection, planting methods, pest and disease management and post-harvest handling.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, Lead Programme Manager, Agriculture and Food Production Initiative (AFPI), Dr Abraham Shaibu, who newly assumed the role of Regional Partnership Lead and Seed Delivery for the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI) said:”I was invited by AFPI to come and use my wealth of experience to train their youths from IFAD and as a plant breeder Scientist at NCRI I have to accept to facilitate these activities for them to coordinate and teach.

“They want youths in various states who can develop their communities. For now, the programme, accomodated six states namely: Kogi, Anambra, Enugu, Niger, Ogun and Ebonyi.

“What AFPI intends to achieve with this training is to empower the youths. Seed is a major challenge in Nigeria, training the young people will allow them replicate the technology of seed production so that farmers can access quality seeds.”

One of the participants, a rice seed entrepreneur from Anambra State, Mr Onyia Fidelis Ozo, said: ”This training is long overdue because seed is essential in agricultural production.

“Without seed, nothing good can be achieved; seed is important because it is only with good seed that you can get bumper harvest. Nigeria is facing challenge in food production at the moment. So, we need good seed so that the paddy will be enough. At the end of this training, I believe we will have more than enough latest techniques that we will apply which will give us the desired result.”

Another participant, Ujunwa Okafor, stated: “My expectation at the end of this training is that I should be able to go back and make amendments having been trained before now, my hope is that I should be able to learn new mechanism so that I can boost my productivity and also be able to teach other rural farmers to improve their productivity as well using certified seeds.”

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