The Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources and Research Center (ISANRRC) has trained Osun State farmers to address food insecurity and unemployment in Nigeria.
The Institute, in partnership with the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Osun State chapter, organized a two-day training programme in Osogbo aimed at preparing farmers specializing in maize, cassava, yam, and sweet potato farming.
Speaking on Thursday the President, Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources and Research Center (ISANRRC), Prof. Shehu Yahaya, disclosed that Nigeria has vast potential for agricultural production which he said can produce food for itself and the entire West Africa Sub-region.
Yahaya urged stakeholders to address critical gaps in accessing affordable farm implements, high-quality inputs, and flexible financing options.
He encouraged the participants to leverage on facilitators’ expertise by translating knowledge into self-reliance, and wealth creation.
According to him, “This training is targeted in areas of maize, cassava, yan and sweet-potato farming and their value chains. The current trend In Nigeria provides that farming is beyond subsistence stage. You cultivate crops to provide food and employment. This could only be realized it the producer is acquainted with the technical skills on thow to effectively produce in line with the global best practices, which will also translate to realization of optimal yield and return,
“The crops that you will receive the training, were major and also currently demanded in the export market. They also nave a very long value chain that can provide wide range of opportunities to the teaming populace. This chain ranges from the producer to the processor, marketers and the consumers to mention a few.
”Climate change has unleashed unpredictable weather patterns, including droughts, floods, and torrential rains, which have ravaged crops and livestock. destroying farmers’ hard work and imperiling food availability. This in tum has exacerbated poverty and malnutrition, affecting a significant portion of the population in the sub-region, further entrenching vulnerability and food insecurity.
In his words, the governing council of the institute, Prof. Oluwatunyi Omotosho said that the institute train farmers to overcome the enormous challenges facing them.
The essence of this programme is to address most the challenges facing by farmers, Omotosho said.
Meanwhile, the South West zonal director, Institute For Sustainable Agriculture Natural Resources And Research Centre (ISANRRC), Olusegun Abioye said that training will expose farmers to some minor errors committed in the farm that can lead to huge lost during farm harvest.
He called on Nigerian youths to venture into farming to be self-reliance and create wealth for themselves.
“We are in country where everybody are looking for white collar job, but this time around we want to change the orientation whereby the youth we proud in the populace to be a farmer.