FG empowers 243 Crop, Fish, Poultry farmers in Ekiti State
The Federal Government has trained and empowered a total number of 243 Crop, Fish and poultry farmers in Ekiti State.
The empowerment and training were organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning in FMAFS State office, Ado Ekiti.
Our correspondent reports that each benefitting farmer was given 25 day-old chicks, chicken feeds, fish feeds, 10kg of maize, sprayers, herbicides, among others.
Speaking during the programme, the Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Boluwade Ebenezer, represented by the Permanent Secretary, FMAFS, Engineer Oyetola, decried the alarming level of poverty in Nigeria, noting that an estimated population of 88.4 million Nigerians were living in extreme poverty.
Also, the permanent secretary of Ekiti state, Engr olugbenga odesanmi, was represented by FMAFS Coordinator, Mr Aderemi, said that the aim of the empowerment programme was to reduce poverty and increase agricultural yields in Nigeria.
His words, “This is why the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning in collaboration with FMAFS is making conscious efforts at reducing the spate of poverty across the country.
“This programme, an initiative under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS), today marks a significant milestone in our collective commitment to uplifting the lives of our smallholder farmers and fostering sustainable agricultural practices,” he said.
Aderemi said that Nigerian farmers were not just the backbone of the country’s agricultural sector, but the heartbeat of the nation’s prosperity.
He said that NPRGS reflected government’s dedication to addressing poverty at its roots, emphasising the pivotal role agriculture plays in economic growth and development.
“Through initiatives like today’s training and empowerment programme, we are sowing the seeds of positive change.
“Ensuring that smallholder farmers have the knowledge, resources, and support needed to thrive in an ever-evolving agricultural landscape,” he said.
The permanent secretary said that Nigeria’s challenges could be transformed into opportunities and overcome with determination, collaboration and a shared vision.
This, he said, could be achieved by empowering the agricultural sector to lead the way towards a more resilient and prosperous Nigeria.
He further called on the beneficiaries to effectively utilize the opportunity to increase agricultural yields in the country and earn more profits.
Prof. Afolabi Clement of the Department of crop protection, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) delivered a lecture on agribusiness management, urged farmers to add value to their products in order to make more profit.
Afolabi said that processing their agricultural produce through value addition would reduce exploitation by middle-men and as well reduce high cost of food in the market.
She said that activities of middle-men in agricultural sector usually led to high cost of food in the market while the real farmers make little profit on their produce.
Mr Yakub Oladele, Programme Manager, Ekiti State ADP in his closing remark said that the programme would reduce poverty in Nigeria and encourage farmers to stay in production.