Expert trains 100 farmers
By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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No fewer than 100 commercial farmers from Ekiti State, were on Saturday trained by private agriculture firms in modern farm practices that can improve food security in the country.
The one day executive training, which was organised by Thai-Agro Allied Industries Limited in collaboration with Seedavest Multinational Resources, attracted young and old commercial farmers across the 16 local government areas of the state.
After the training, the firms distributed free high yielding seeds to the farmers to experiment in the next planting season.
Speaking at the workshop held in Ado Ekiti , an agriculture expert and co-owner of Seedavest Multinational, Mr. Aduragbemi Fasakin, said the only way Governor Kayode Fayemi’s government can transform the sector, is to revamp the moribund farm settlements and provide modern facilities to attract unemployed youths.
Fasakin also urged government at all levels to partner private organisations for effective and efficient marketing of agricultural products for farmers to make more gains after harvest.
The expert added that government must establish effective marketing strategy to buy their products, describing this as an impetus that can transform farming and make it have meaningful impacts on the economy.
Fasakin advised that farmers should understand the concept of any crop and research well into how best to grow it before dabbling into its production, saying this accounted for the major losses being recorded by farmers in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer, Thai Agro Allied Industries Limited, Mrs Chinwe Ezirim, said Ekiti was blessed with good soil and expansive land to be able to become a front runner in agribusinesses, saying dearth of facilities for commercial farming have always been the impediment.
