By Tony Adibe
The Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP) in collaboration with Southfield International have registered and trained not less than 400 farmers from various agricultural value chains in the state.
NewsBits reports that the occasion witnessed the registration of farmers in various value chains and the distribution of free organic agro products worth millions of Naira to three selected farmers from each of the eleven communities in Awgu Local Government Area. The Programme Manager of ENADEP, Dr Ogbonna Onyeisi made the disclosure during the flagg-off of the farmers’ registration organised by Southfield International in collaboration with ENADEP, in Awgu on Thursday.
Onyeisi explained that the registration of the farmers in different agricultural value chains was one of the policy thrusts of ENADEP for better results from farmers. “As one of the good agricultural practices, ENADEP is working to have the database of every farmer in Enugu State. The farmers also benefit from the free distribution of organic fertilizer and herbicides manufactured by the Southfield International.
“Southfield has been training farmers and promoting the use of organic agro products as a strategy for climate smart agricultural practices. ENADEP and Southfield agreed to collaborate as one of the action plans of Enugu farmer associations forum to unite all the farmers in the state and increase their productivity.
“At the meeting of Enugu State Farmers Associations Forum held at the ENADEP Headquarter on Thursday 15th December, 2022, the Forum pleaded with ENADEP to support Southfield International to train farmers in every local Government council of the state on how to produce organic fertilizer,” he said. Onyeisi thanked Mr Giovanni Madubuaku, Director, Southfield International for initiating the project and for his continous training and empowering of rural farmers on the use of organic agro inputs.
He restated the importance of climate-smart agricultural and urged the Southfield International to continue the good work. The Progrmme Manager promised to create enabling environment, where the message would be spreaded to every local government in the state, to every state of the federation, and to all over the world.
Onyeisi lauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for paying counter-part funding that attracted special projects to the state. He said such projects include Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvment Support (APPEALS) Project.
He said: “International Fund for Agricultutural Development/ Federal Government of Nigeria-Value Chain Development ProgrammeI (IFAD/FGN -VCDP); and Agricultutural Transformation Agenda Support Program Phase-1 (ATASP-1) – AFDB Assisted.” He asserted that the success of these agricultural development projects illustrated the determination of the state government to support Enugu farmers.
Earlier, Madubuaku, in his welcome address, expressed his joy that the programme manager and his management team from ENADEP came all the way from Enugu to grace the occasion. He explained that training farmers and promoting organic agro products were his inert desires to improve the lives of his people, contribute to his immediate environment and to the happiness of the people of the world.
He appreciated ENADEP’s collaboration, adding that it would help farmers to increase their production and income as well encourage more citizens to engage in agriculture. Climax of the occasion was the registration of farmers in various value chains and the distribution of free organic agro products worth millions of Naira to three selected farmers from each of the eleven communities in Awgu Local Government Area.
