NAN-HE-7
Farmers
By Taiye Baiyerohi and Idris Olukoya
Lagos, Oct. 25, 2016 (NAN) The World Economic Power Chamber of Commerce (WEPCCOM) on Tuesday said it had trained no fewer than 198 peasant farmers on ways to expand their capacity in the agricultural businesses.
WEPCCOM President, Mr Jude Onumajuru, disclosed this in Lagos at a workshop organised by WEPCCOM on “Identifying Profitable Ways to Invest in Agriculture with Special Focus on Poultry, Fish Farming and Crop Production’’.
He said that farmers needed to be educated often in order to be abreast of new developments in agricultural practices.
Onumajuru said that the Lagos State Government’s incentives to farmers, especially in the rural areas, got to the beneficiaries.
He said that land cultivation must be given huge attention in view of the economic recession in the country.
“We are interested in enlightening peasant farmers on new findings in the agricultural sector to aid their agricultural businesses.
“The Lagos State Government usually comes up with incentives to assist farmers from time to time.
“The government intends to give out soft loans and farming equipment to some peasant farmers very soon,” he said.
He called on the government to partner with the NGOs to achieve its aims.
Onumajuru said that WEPCCOM had secured one thousand hectares of land for agricultural production in Delta State.
“We intend to build agricultural institute on the land where youths and interested adults will be trained on poultry, fish farming and crop production.
Onumajuru said that the idea was to assist farmers in the rural area on the latest trend and opportunities in agric businesses.
Mrs Muyibat Osunkoya, the representative of the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Olayiwole Onasanya, said that the state would soon commence a public-private-partnership in agriculture.
Osunkoya said that the objective was to encourgage farmers and boost participation in the agriculture sector.
PTB/SIO/ERO/TA
Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Tajudeen Atitebi