The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, says the ministry has trained and empowered no fewer than 20,755 farmers on agri-business across the country.
Kyari disclosed this in his presentation at the ministerial sectoral update in commemoration of President Bola Tinubu’s first anniversary in Abuja.
The minister said that the beneficiaries included women and youths.
He said that the ministry also trained 3,350 extension agents in states agricultural development projects across the country to improve extension services delivery.
Kyari said the ministry established demonstration plots for technology diffusion on good agricultural practice.
He said that the ministry was given 20 deliverables to actualise the President’s 8-point Agenda, which included working with states, local governments and private sector to open up land to boost production (farming) of key staple foods based on their competitive and comparative advantages.
Kyari said other deliverables included implementing programmes on youth and women empowerment in agriculture and family livelihood improvement enterprises.
Others, he said, were to implement the rural transformation programme by working with states and local governments to provide basic infrastructures that promoted rural development among others.
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He said the ministry equally developed 23 improved crop varieties by the national agricultural research institutes, certified and released by the national varietal release committee.
Kyari said there was also improved storage facilities and fabrication of machinery (planters, ploughs, and harvesters).
He said that the ministry established adopted villages and schools to attract the youth to agriculture.
“The ministry introduced vocational training programmes in federal colleges of agriculture for relevant skill acquisition.
“Implemented youth employment in agriculture and women and youth in agribusiness programmes with the use of technology and innovation; as well as capacity building across the value chain and provision of start-up kits to enable self-employment,” he said.
NAN
