NAN-AE-1
Extension
By Muhammad Adam
Yola, Nov. 10, 2016 (NAN) Adamawa Government said on Thursday that it had recruited and trained 500 agricultural extension officers to boost farming activities in the state.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Waziri Ahmadu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola that the new officers have been posted to various farming communities.
Ahmadu explained that the officers would enlighten farmers on the appropriate modern techniques of land preparation, weeding and nursing their crops to harvesting stage.
He said that the state government expanded the extension service in order to improve farm productivity and enhance their income.
“The government, through its Agricultural Development Project, employed and trained 500 extension officers.
“This is to improve farmers’ production and their income generation,’’ Ahmadu said.
The commissioner also said that the ministry would resuscitate all its orchard farms across the state in order to encourage cash crops production.
He listed the crops to include mango, citrus, guava, pawpaw and cocoa.
“The programme, if given full attention, can contribute substantially to farm produce export,’’ he said
NAN reports that Adamawa is among the cocoa producing states in the country with 300 registered as cocoa farmers. (NAN)
AMA/AIB/AFA
Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Felix Ajide
=============================