Not less than 80 farmers in Ondo state have benefited the Federal Government training on All-season tomato production for youth and women in the South East, South South and South west region of the federation.
Declaring the training open on Saturday in Akure, the state Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food sufficiency, Mr Akeem Ogundeko said the training was to equip farmers with adequate knowledge on improved methods of farming and how to grow them.
Ogundeko said it was initiated to ensure that Farmers have improved yield for better remuneration and for food security.
While calling on participants to make judicious use of the knowledge gained at the training, Ogundeko disclosed that more incentives like the fertilizers and chemicals would also be supplied to the farmers in due course.
” We are trying to organise them in different cooperatives, we ask them to list their wants which is being compiled and would be attended to soonest,” he said.
In his welcome speech, the state Project Manager of Agricultural Development Agency (ADP), Mr Babasola Adeniyan said the training was organised by the federal government in collaboration with the state.
It was also to build the capacity of farmers who are expected to train others on modern ways of tomato production.
“We expect an increased yield from them, asking them to do it the way it should be done, following the recommended practice to increase the supply of tomato in the market,” he expressed.
The Resource Person, Mr. Ademola Olatunji observed that Farmers have been doing things in the wrong way which he attributed to their not getting the required maximum yield for profitability.
His words: “We have educated them on the time to operate, to start, planting distance, how to combat diseases and pest challenges on the field which is the major reason and the application of fertilizer, it’s quality, types and at what stage to plant”.
The state Chairman of Tomato Growers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Prince Adeniyi Oluwalanu expressed happiness and satisfaction, saying that the training has helped in providing them with the solution to major challenges of diseases and pest affecting production.
Oluwalanu who applauded the federal and state government for the training, appealed for more regular trainings which he said would help in sustaining their farms.
A supervisor from the department of Agric extension of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Usman Mamman, applauded the Ondo farmers for conducting themselves properly, which he observed, showed their level of readiness to do the needful.
