The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday trained no fewer than 200 farmers and agricultural field officers on the effective use of organic and synthetic fertilizers.
Mr Ibe Chukwuemeka, the Acting Secretary, Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), who declared the training open at Kwali Area Councils said it was part of efforts to boost food production and security in the territory.
Chukwuemeka, who described the training as timely because of the rainy season, said it would go a long way in guiding farmers on addressing soil infertility and crop failure through the use of the synthetic fertilizers.
He said capacity building especially for extension agents and field officers had been a priority for the secretariat, due to its closeness to the rural farmers who need knowledge of efficient farming techniques.
He explained that the use of organic fertilizers (Granular and Liquid) was a new innovation practised globally as it helps to promote rapid nutrient absorption by plants.
He added that the use of organic fertilizer improves soil fertility and plant growth, leading to bumper harvest.
He called on FCT farmers to embrace the new approach and assured that the FCT Administration would not relent in its effort to find lasting solutions to the problem of crop failure being experienced by them
“On inception into office, the FCT under the Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, and the Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu made their intention clear to pursue the implementation of grassroot oriented programme that will have direct bearing on the lives of FCT residents.
” It is in line with that avowed commitment that the Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat, which is the arm of the FCT Administration charged with the responsibility of coordinating the implementation of agric development initiatives is organising this programme.
” The programme is a way of bequeathing FCT farmers with knowledge of new and effective trends in agricultural practices,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the trainees were drawn from the six area councils of the FCT.
Speaking at the training, Mr Anaku Lewis, a farmer from Gwagwa community in AMAC said the workshop was a good initiative and appealed to government to make organic fertilizers available.
Also, Jacob Shuku, another farmer from Kwali described the training as perfect saying ” most of us don’t know anything about organic fertilizers before, but now we have seen the importance of it.
” And more importantly, they (experts) have taught us how to use it to improve agricultural production, so we want the government to make it available for us to get it.
” I will tell my fellow farmers that there is a new invention that farmers are using, let’s embrace it, in order to improve our farming system.”
