Twenty Agricultural Extension Agents in Abia State have been trained in Umuahia, Abia State on Cassava Value Chains by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in a one-day workshop it organised in collaboration with Abia State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP).
The training would enable each of the extension agents to train 25 farmers thereby bringing the number to 500 trained Agricultural experts, as a step towards boosting cassava production in the state.
Bartho Onyemaobi, ADP Programme manager, who disclosed this while declaring the workshop open, said that the workshop would assist the extension agents to train Abia farmers on the effective production and utilisation of cassava value chain.
He described the workshop as an evidence of the reality of Federal Governments efforts to ensure that agricultural activities are intensified in the state, and reminded the extension agents of their duty in training other farmers.
He thanked the state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu for his agricultural revolution posture in the state.
Also speaking during the training, the facilitator from the Federal Department of extension services, Abuja, Asuquo Edward, charged the participants to take the workshop seriously, disclosing that 500 farmers were expected to be trained by the state to help increase cassava production in the country.
Delivering a lecture on Cassava value chain, a Resource person from International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Emeka Okoli said that Agriculture remains the surest way out of economic recession.
He pointed out that the rate of crime would reduce when youths were properly engaged in agriculture.
Ihuoma Reuben, Onyebuchi Okorie, and some other participants who spoke with BDSUNDAY after the training thanked the Federal Government and Abia State ADP for organising the workshop, but promised to impact the knowledge they acquired to other farmers.
In his remarks, Kenneth Kanu, ADP director of Extension services, said that the agricultural extension services department would continue to render assistance to Abia farmers towards effective agricultural production.
He advised Abia farmers to feel free in seeking advice from the extension agents.
