The Lagos State Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support (APPEALS) has said it has trained about 790 women and youths in the state on modern poultry farming.
This is just as the Kaduna State APPEALS said it has trained 300 persons on ginger production, while value chain investment plan has been developed for 1000 ginger farmers in the state.
APPEALS project is an initiative of the Nigerian Government with support from the World Bank.
The Lagos State Coordinator of APPEALS project, Oluranti Oviebo, said the farmers were also being exposed to modern poultry technologies to enhance production.
“In poultry right now we have trained 790 women and youths across the poultry value chains but we have more in the poultry value chains.”
On the technologies being deployed, she said “poultry is doing great things in Lagos presently the project is supporting quiet a number of farmers in new technologies, we have nipple fitted drinkers and palletized feeds for poultry farmers for those raising broilers.
“You all aware that the federal government has ban importation of poultry into the country and so the government is also looking into how to empower farmers to ensure that they can maximise their production.
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“In time past most farmers were achieving 1.9kg in eight weeks with their matched feed but with the technology that the project has brought to the fore which is nipple fitted drinkers and the palletized feed, today, our farmers are achieving 2.2kg in six weeks, and the project is not just educating farmers they are also supporting them with inputs and this improved technology.”
In Kaduna, the State Coordinator, Dr Yahaya Aminu, said they project was empowering ginger farmers in order to maximise production.
He said despite training 300 ginger farmers, the project was also targeting another 1000 ginger processors in terms of interventions.
“So far we have trained 300 ginger farmers, in terms of post-harvest handling, we have developed value chain investment plan for about 1000 ginger farmers that are getting interventions at the moment, we are targeting another 1000 processors who are likely going to get their interventions before the end of the year, before the current ginger harvest period.
“When you look at the background of ginger situation in the country and in the world today, ginger is the fastest moving beverage in the world today, the international market for ginger is valued at about $5 billion and it is expected to reach $6 billon in the six, seven years but the market share of Nigeria ginger is very low in terms of value but in terms of the quantity is very significant.
“What is happening is that Nigeria dry season ginger is been exported to other countries they process and it add more value to it and they re-export back to the international market at much higher value.
“What it means is that the key challenge to ginger is in terms of quality control in term of quality control, processing and what we are doing under Kaduna APPEALS project is to collaborate with them and support them in terms of improve quality of handling and processing,” Aminu said.
He said farmers were being trained in terms of handling and post-harvest management.
“We have been working on the value chains in order to give support and interventions for them to access processing equipment, handling equipment, packaging facilities so that the quality of ginger being produced in Kaduna state will improve and attract premium in the international market,” he added.
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