The Federal Government has trained small-scale women farmers and people with special needs on sack farming and home gardening as part of efforts to enhance food security in the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi said this at a one-day workshop/sensitisation for participants across the North-Central held in Minna on Wednesday.
Ogunbiyi, represented by the Zonal Director, North-Central Zone of the ministry, Abdul Agbaji said the workshop was to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to cultivate food in the comfort of their backyards.
He said the training was necessary considering the critical role women play in agriculture and the importance of inclusivity in agricultural programmes.
“The training is designed to tap into the potential of women and persons with disabilities in achieving food security as we believe they play a critical role.
“Women are the backbone of the agricultural sector and their participation is essential to our success,” he said.
Ogunbiyi said that the workshop focused on sack farming, home gardening and innovative approaches that require minimal space to make them ideal for urban and rural dwellers alike.
According to him, participants will learn from experts in the field, share experiences, and gain hands-on training on sack farming and home gardening.
Speaking, the Director Special Duties in the ministry, Mrs Kachallah Damaturu said the workshop was to empower rural women and people with special needs through farmer field schools.
She said that agro-ecology training for sack farming and home garden, financial literacy, inclusion, and organic agriculture/manure were means of empowering rural women in the communities.
Damaturu described sack farming as a simple innovation technique that involves growing plants in sacks or bags.
She emphasised the importance of gender inclusiveness in the agricultural sector, adding that women and people with special needs face unique challenges in agriculture.
In his remarks, the Coordinator, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Suleiman Ladan said the participants from Niger were selected from women cooperatives and empowerment initiatives for persons with disabilities.
Ladan, represented by a staff in the ministry, Ramatu Salihu advised the participants to use the opportunity to acquire skills on farming and home gardening in order to boost food security.
A participant from Nasarawa with special needs, Mrs Esther Andrew thanked the ministry for ensuring the inclusiveness of persons with special needs.
She said that she had been practicing backyard and sack farming, which had been sustaining her family as a source of income.
Another participant, Mrs Comfort Samuel from Niger, said the training would help them overcome the challenges women farmers face.
She promised to embrace sack farming and improve food production to feed the state and the nation at large.
