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Experts task Edo on Agric, as ATDF Partners College for capacity building

In view of the vast arable land that abound across the state, Agricultural expert Mrs. Rosemary Layode has urged the Edo State Government to invest holistically in agriculture and empower the farmers to engage in mechanised and large scale farming. Layode, the National Coordinator of Agricultural Trade Development Forum (ATDF), who spoke during a seminar…

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State

In view of the vast arable land that abound across the state, Agricultural expert Mrs. Rosemary Layode has urged the Edo State Government to invest holistically in agriculture and empower the farmers to engage in mechanised and large scale farming.

Layode, the National Coordinator of Agricultural Trade Development Forum (ATDF), who spoke during a seminar at the College of Education Iguebe, noted that farmers in the state could export plantain and other farm produce in commercial quantities to other states and West African countries.

She underscored the need for farmers, Agric businessmen/women and cooperative societies and farmers of the Multipurpose Cooperative Society of College of Education, Igueben to come together and access the immense opportunities in Agric sector, especially relevant information and soft loans that will boost their agricultural trade.

Layode, who spoke on the topic Farming with a purpose, said, “Travelling across your wonderful state, Edo State is thrilling and mind blowing for me, as I saw plantations and produce growing on its own; there’s so much fertile land and opportunities to create wealth by farming with a purpose.

I want to urge the government of Edo State to empower farmers and as a matter of fact, create a robust Agric policy that will tackle inaccessibility to seedlings, farm equipment and finance.”

She continued: “I’m here to support what has been done as regards empowerment of farmers and agric businessmen and women in relevant information and capacity building,” she said.
     
Shuaib Mubarak, a farmer and Agric expert also tasked the participants on having firsthand information on the crops they intend to plant.

He noted that since castor seedling grows well in the area, they could be develop capacity to plant castor seedlings in commercial quantities as it was in high demand in the global community.

“Try to know your crop and what it takes to realise a high yield on it. Bamboo trees are also in abundance here but they are wasting away; the bamboo leaves are also needful for tea and medicine,” Mubarak stated.
 
In his remarks, Kasimu Mohammed, Edo/Delta/South East Coordinator of ATDF, said the organisation will avail every opportunity to share knowledge and boost farming opportunities in the state.  

Earlier, the registrar of the college of education, who received the Agric experts in his office, stated that the school is in need of a group like ATDF to empower its staff members, while president of Cooperative Society of the college, John Usifor, thanked the facilitators for their assistance, assuring that the cooperative will ensure the knowledge shared to their members will be put to use.

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