Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with National Horticulture Research Institute (NIHORT), has trained over 400 women and youths in Katsina State on tomato/pepper production, control of tuta absoluta and value addition.
The training, which was held at Safana/Batasari/Dan-Musa Federal Constituency, was to empower members of the rural community to boost food production, eradicate poverty and bring government presence closer to the people.
Executive Director of NIHORT, Dr Attanda Lawal, said: “The Federal Government is using agriculture as a veritable means of diversifying Nigeria’s economy.”
Represented by the General Manager, Horticonsultancy Ventures Limited, NIHORT, Dr Joel Akindele Akinfasoye, he noted that tomato and pepper were commercially viable and money-spinners for those who understand the value chain.
The training, which was done in two batches, covered nursery practices, transplanting techniques, field establishment and management, control of tuta absoluta disease, harvesting techniques, value addition, as well as economics of tomato and pepper production.
He also disclosed that the training was targeted at building the capacity of youth and women on tomato and pepper production, as well as value addition, to create wealth and generate means of sustainable livelihood.
“Tomato and pepper serve as raw material for the canning industry for making paste, ketchup/sauce, puree, juice, dry slices, powder and whole peel tomato. It is a low capital agribusiness,” he stated.
Representative of the facilitator, Kabir Dayyanu, commended the Federal Government for empowering the women and youths, just as two of the participants, Hussaini Kabir and Hauwa Babba, on behalf of others, expressed gratitude to the government for the training.
