The federal government says it will train over 2,000 Cassava Farmers in the use of modern farming techniques to improve their productivity.
The Director of the federal department of Agriculture ,at the Federal ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hajiya Karima Babangida made the disclosure at the flagg off of the commencement of training for the Cassava Farmers in Ilorn,the Kwara State capital.
Represented by the programme manager for Roots and Tuber expansion at the ministry,Mr Deola- Tayor Lordbanjou,Hajiya Karima said about 60,000 Cassava planting materials have been distributed to the farmers.
She said the Cassava planting materials distributed are of high quality and will respond better to economic management practice of the sector.
Hajiya Karima Babangida explained that the federal government is desirous to improve and strengthened the cultivation of Cassava to enable the farmers gets sustainable yield.
In his address ,Kwara State Coordinator of the federal ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,Dr, Yisa Aliyu said the training and distribution of materials will boast the standard of living of Cassava Farmers in the state and the country in general.
He urged the farmers not to sell the cassava stem as they should rather plànt it added that they would be monitored.
“All the farmers are known to us we know the location of their farmers usually we carry out monitoring where we can confirm if they plant or we know how to track them” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries Remi Ogundipe and Mrs B Latifat who expressed gratitude as the stem would be blessing to them stressed the need for the government to improve on it to accommodate more farmers and to also help them produce more.
They also called on the government to assist them in land clearing for farmers to produce more.” He said.
