As part of efforts aimed at enhancing food production in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area (LGA), the Council Chairman, Rt. Hon. Alabi Bliss Oshionogue, has welcomed the Young Agricultural Trained Personnel under the aegis of Enterprise for Youths in Agriculture (EYIA), who have been trained on soilless farming on vegetable crops such as carrot, Habeneru pepper and Ball pepper, cucumber, onions, among others.
Rt. Hon. Oshionogue while playing host to the trained farmers, who were on a ‘Thank You Visit’ to the Council, said that food security would guarantee human survival in the phase of economic downturns. He explained that in the 21st Century, an individual is capable of producing food that can feed an entire State due to mechanization.
He asserted that the development would curtail farmers/herders’ clashes and disclosed that plans were underway to checkmate the menace of marauding Fulani herdsmen in the LGA.
The Council Boss appreciated the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his Renewed Hope Agenda as well as the Governor Monday Okpebholo-led administration in Edo State for prioritizing Agriculture in their programmes, stating that the sponsored initiative of soilless farming is technology-driven.
He pledged to support the initiative according to available funds, to guarantee food Sufficiency in the locality.
The Team Lead, Mrs. Alabi Faith disclosed that the three months training programme in Awowo Abeokuta, Ogun State, was sponsored by the Akoko-Edo Local Government Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. She added that 1,200 participants, mostly Women, were drawn from the Federation for the Empowerment Programme, which is aimed at fostering economic growth.
Mrs. Alabi stated that the idea is to enable farming throughout the year without break. She clarified that the programme is designed to farm on soilless spaces as crops would be planted on rice hub, coconut shaft or coconut pit, an initiative geared towards reducing labour and increasing yields with weed mats for preservation.
