18th May, 2017
The Kaduna State Government says it is set to engage more extension service workers in its bid to optimise its agriculture potential and boost food production, an official has said.
Malam Dauda Ashafa, the General Manager, Kaduna State Agriculture Development Agency (KADA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna at the ongoing three-day workshop for extension service workers.
The training was organised by an NGO, Synergos Nigeria with participants drawn from Kaduna, Kogi and Benue participating.
Ashafa stressed the importance of the ongoing training, adding that the state government would support the programmes of the NGO to ensure food security and improve the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
He said that the additional extension service officers to be engaged would supervise and educate farmers on modern agriculture methods that would enhance the quality of crops.
NAN reports that about 60 extension workers drawn from Kogi, Kaduna and Benue are taking part in the programme.
Mr Victor Adejoh, Field Manager of the NGO, had earlier told participants that the workshop was for them to share experiences in agriculture.
The experiences, he stressed, should be on the best methods of supervising farmers on the value chain of selected crops in the participating states.
He also said that the workshop was the NGO’s contributions to support farmers migrate from subsistence farming to agribusiness.
The workshop, tagged ‘’Good Agriculture Practices Workshop for Extension Service Workers’’ is being conducted under the State Partnership for Agriculture (SPA).
Adejoh further said the workshop would equip the extension service workers with skills for effective supervision of farmers.
According to him the trainees will also help farmers to follow the season calendar from cultivation through harvest to storage of some crops in the value chains of Rice.
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The crops he were cassava, maize, ginger, soybeans, yam, sesame and cashew in the three states.
NAN reports that agriculture extension experts, soil and water scientists, environmental protectionists and conservationists were facilitators at the workshop.
The workshop covers topics such as wild life protection, forest conservation and management in the course of opening new farm lands for cultivation.
Others are control of fire while burning bushes as well as proper application of chemicals for soil conservation, crop variety and calendar for cultivation of various crops.
The workshop will be rounded up with lecture on Ginger production, mainly produced in Kaduna State.
NAN reports that Synergos Nigeria organised the programme through SPA with support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The NGO’s main thrust is to partner states to build capacity for actors in agriculture with focus on gender inclusion and nutrition-sensitive approaches.