As 100 extension agents/farmers attend L-PRESS capacity training in Kwara
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi on Wednesday assured that the creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development by President Bola Tinubu will boost food production in the country.
Newshubmag.com reports that Senator Abdullahi stated this on Wednesday while declaring open a five day capacity building for 100 Extension Agents/Farmers on small ruminant production and crop residue processing for improved utilization by ruminants conducted by Synergy Impact Consultant Limited and held at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM), Idofian.
Represented by the National Project Coordinator, Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), Mallam Abubakar Sanusi, the Minister said the training is aimed at empowering both farmers and extension agents towards ensuring food security in the country.
While stressing the importance of extension agents to food secuirty in the country, the Minister stated that the L-PRES project cannot move forward without the extension agents working with farmers to improve productivity or commercialization, saying that if the nation improves on both the livestock value chain it will also improve on the nutrition and capacity of the people.
In her remarks on the occassion, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Oloruntoyosi Thomas who expressed pride in being the Commissioner of Agriculture for the State said Kwara has been taking simple and practical steps towards food security.
She stated that one of the things that set the State aprat from her peers is the pursuit of quality over quantity. She further stressed the importance of extension agents to food sufficency as they are the closest to the rural farmers.
The commissioner further assured that the Kwara State Government will contiune to recognise and add value to the extenstion agents as the state is committed to helping farmers improve their productivity and guide them through their farming businesses.
Thomas also promised that the state government will strengthen the number of the Extension Agents from one hundred to one thousand in the next two years with provision of one motorcycle each across the sixteen local government areas of the State.
Newshubmag.com also reports that earlier in his welcome address, the State Project Coordinator of L-PRESS, Mr Oyawoye Olusoji had praised the state government for its support for the project and contuined collaboration for a succesfully outing.
He urged particpants not to hoard the knowledge acquired from the training but rather scale down to those who were not privillaged to attend the program in a bid to achieve the desire food security as envisged by the federal government.
Also speaking, the Lead Consultant for Synergy Impact Consultants Limited, Mr David Babalola said partcipants would be trained to better handle the issue of feed which he described as taking over 70% of the concern of livestock farmers.
He said the idea is to ensure that farmers can utilize crop residue and other farm left overs to compound nurtitious feed for ruminants.
Babalola advised therefore advised participants not to keep the knowledge gained during the training but to spread it to boost the socio-economy of the state and country at large.
Newshubmag.com further reports that participants at the training commended the federal government for the opportunity and thanked the management of the Synergy Impact Consultant Limited for providing an enabling environment for them.
Newshubmag.com also reports that highlights of the event was a demostration of feed compound from crop residue and also a symoblic presentation of certificates of participation to some participants.
