Federal ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin has trained about 55 women and youth practising agriculture in cassava value chain development.
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The people, who were selected members of communities from various parts of Oyo state were trained on measures to take in order to transform farming as an occupation to business.
Speaking at the capacity building programme, the executive director of the ARMTI, Dr. Olufemi Oladunni, said that value chain development in agriculture has made farming easier and more profitable, coupled with skill development and knowledge acquisition.
The ARMTI executive director also said that value chain development has capacity to increase employment among practitioners and make people live better with quality food production.
He said that the ARMTI had carried out activities at developing agricultural value chain on cassava in Kwara and Oyo states since 2012 as part of its contribution to agricultural development in Nigeria, especially at taking farming from subsistence level to agricultural business.
“Our goal is to see how best our youth and women will be prosperous in agricultural practices. No one can tell me that those in agriculture cannot even do better in life than those in any other sector. Agriculture, being the number one profession on earth charts way to prosperity, especially with support of the present federal government through the Ministry of Agriculture. For instance, judged by a lot of value chain that has been introduced to cassava, the crop is an all round food in Nigeria”, he said.
Dr. Oladunni, who said that the federal government is committed to better agricultural practice, added that participants should disseminate the knowledge acquired at the training to members in their various communities in order to achieve desired effect in improved agricultural practice.
Also speaking, the country director of Harvest Plus, an international organization with concern for quality food production, Dr. Paul Ilona, commended the ministry and the ARMTI in their interest in future of Nigeria, saying that the programme could arrest growing unemployment rate.
Dr. Ilona also said that knowledge on value chain development would enhance better future of agriculture in Nigeria and improve communal growth, particularly on its impact on society.
One of the beneficiaries of the training programme, Afolabi Olawunmi, who spoke on behalf of others, said that the programme had enriched their knowledge in agriculture, adding that it promoted happiness and wealth.
“Since I took the bold step to resign from my former telecommunication job to take up agriculture fully in 2016, to the glory of God, it’s been merry all the way. I wish this programme had come before now. So, this training will improve on my productivity and put more money in my pocket”, he said.
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