The Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP) has registered and trained 400 farmers from various agricultural value chains on organic fertiliser production.
The Programme Manager of ENADEP, Dr. Ogbonna Onyeisi, disclosed this during the flag-off of the farmers’ registration, organised by Southfield International, in collaboration with ENADEP in Awgu Local Government Area of the state on Friday.
Onyeisi explained that the registration and training of the farmers in different agricultural value chains was one of the policy thrusts of ENADEP for better results and yield for farmers.
“As one of the good agricultural practices, ENADEP is working to have the database of every farmer in Enugu State.
“Southfield International 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 the Enugu farmer association 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 December 15, 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 of Southfield International, for initiating the project and for his continuous training and empowerment of rural farmers on the use of organic agro inputs.
“During the registration, the farmers also benefited from the free distribution of organic fertiliser and herbicides, manufactured by Southfield International,” he said.
He reiterated the importance of climate-smart agriculture and urged Southfield International to continue the good work.
The Programme Manager promised to create an enabling environment, where the message would be spread 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 the counterpart funding that attracted special agriculture and agro-allied projects to the state.
According to him, such projects include Agro-Processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project.
“International Fund for Agricultural Development/Federal Government of Nigeria – Value Chain Development Programme (IFAD/FGN -VCDP) and Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase-1 ((ATASP-1) – AFDB Assisted,” he said.
He said that the success of these agricultural development projects illustrated the determination of the state government to support Enugu State 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, and 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 as encourages more citizens to engage in agriculture.
The 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’ groups from each of the 11 communities in Awgu Local Government Area of the state.
