By Joseph Edegbo :
The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA ) has trained 105 Kogi youth farmers on professional and technical enhancement for National Young Farmers’ Scheme ( NYFS) across the 21 local government areas in the state.
The State Coordinator, Mrs Grace Omowunmi Olowohunwa contended during her speech at the opening of the exercise in Lokoja, that the essence of the training will help expand farmers knowledge on the dynamics of modern day farming technology for food security and income.
She said; “ President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated NALDA to remains sacrosanct with the mission to ensure agriculture becomes the rallying point for investment, job creation and being attractive to young people with the aim of growing ‘what we eat and eat what we produce and the only way to get everyone on board is to train vibrant youth on the best way of modern day farming
“In the past the farmers use plough to dig the soil, with the advent of new technological devices, farmer now use modern equipment like multi facilities tractor to dig the soil. Farmers used to be dependent on natural condition and fertilizers but produce very low production.
“What we are doing today is to encourage you to continue to farm like you used to do but in a different way that will yield productive results.
She urged the beneficiaries to learn and put in practice all they were taught at the event.
Also speaking at the training, Dr Hussein Adinoyi Etudaiye, said the programme is targeted at enlightening young farmers more on modernization agriculture so as to widen their knowledge on professional and technical farming.
Agriculture is one for the key sectors targeted and funded by the Governor Yahaya Bello Administration in Kogi State in order to unlock the economic potentials of the state.
Kogi State is the leading producer of Cashew and Cassava in Nigeria and boasts of the second biggest Rice Mill in Northern Nigeria.
