From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Shehu ABG in collaboration with Federal College of Horticulture Gombe has trained over 100 women and youth in on best agricultural practice.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the training, in Kaduna yesterday, Hon. Shehu said the training will also focus on methods of preservation of farm produce for maximum utilization towards having a food sufficient nation.
The former lawmaker disclosed that participants were drawn from several communities across the state for training in different techniques of irrigation farming which involved fruit crops and vegetables such as guava, banana, water melon, orange among others to make Kaduna youth and women self-reliant.
He said he had organized several and similar empowerment programs of this nature in the past five years after leaving office as member representing Kaduna North in the Lower Chamber.
He reiterated his resolve to be consistent in organizing such empowerment programs as his quota towards eradicating idleness among youths which he attributed as the root cause of insecurity, kidnapping, rape and other social vices in the society.
Participants who were trained were empowered with grinding machines and starter cash to enable them process and preserve their farm products for economic values.
Training officer from Federal College of Agriculture, Gombe, Adamu Waziri disclosed that the participants were taught modern food production techniques, processing , preservation and marketing, adding that the best value chain in agriculture was attaining a stage of reducing waste of products before they get to the final consumer.
He highlighted some benefits of the training to include among others ; eliminating waste in farm products , equipping farmers with modern farming techniques for maximum productivity , increasing value chain of Kaduna farmers.
Mathew Yohana, a beneficiary of the program expressed his delight and commitments to put into practice knowledge gained at the training.
A female farmer Hassana Aliyu who was also among 100 other beneficiaries said she could increase her harvest with the skills learnt which she said would go a long way in impacting the overall production capabilities of Kaduna farmers..
Hajiya Aliyu urged other politicians and stakeholders to emulate the kind gestures of Shehu ABG towards youth and women empowerment which she said if sustained would build Nigeria towards food sufficiency.
