FG trains 25 Ebonyi women, youths on cassava farming

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture says it has trained 25 Ebonyi women and youths on modern techniques of cassava production. A Director in the ministry, Dr Williams Obasi, represented by an Assistant Chief Agriculture Engineer, Jude Omabe, said this at the training workshop in Abakiliki on Wednesday. Obasi said that the exercise was part of Federal Government’s bid to boost food supply in the country. He further said that the training was designed to help create jobs and wealth for the youths and transforming them into agricultural entrepreneurs. “We chose to hold the workshop on cassava because of the value and it serves several purposes. “The training is coming in batches and many other youths will be trained,” he said. A Senior Agriculture Officer in the ministry, Mr Inakwu Joseph, said that the participants were trained on both theory and practical cassava farming. Joseph said that over 125 bundles of cassava stems were distributed to the participants. “That amounts to five bundles to each participant. “The type of stem takes six to eight months period before it can be harvested,” he said. The Programme Manager, Ebonyi State Agriculture Development Programme, Mr Gabriel Odoh, commended the Federal Government for putting up the training workshop. “This training for one farmers cluster on cassava production, processing and value addiction in Ebonyi is a welcome development. “I urge the participants to make use of what they have learnt and become employers of labour,” Odoh said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the participants were drawn from the 13 Local Government Areas of the state. The training, which focused on Good Agronomic Processes, was organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. A participant, Nwagu Ogbonna, who spoke on behalf of others thanked the Federal Government for the training and pledged to make the most of the knowledge acquired. (NAN)