By NewsCritic Reporters
As part of its ongoing women empowerment project in Abia State, the United States Department of State through the US Embassy has facilitated the training of rural women farmers in a bid to boost food production. The capacity building training programme was executed in collaboration with a Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, Unique Development Aid Foundation (UDAF).
The capacity building training programme is following the installation of modern cassava processing machine in Umuichi Nkata Ibeku in Umuahia North LGA of Abia State, Nigeria for the use of the farming community in processing their cassava products. The community now boasts of a fully operational cassava processing mill, thereby empowering them to process and sell locally harvested cassava products.
Already, the cassava processing machine courtesy of the US Embassy Abuja is now serving the farmers daily. The Unique Development Aid Foundation, said they have a lot of Agric based programmes for rural farmers, which will be implemented in phases. Also, farming inputs were distributed to the farmers with improved seedlings.
The capacity-building training covered essential skills in handling and processing cassava, along with basic business management skills. Over 300 farmers benefitted from the impactful project within the community and beyond.
Resource persons from the Umuahia Chamber of Commerce, and the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) Umuahia were on ground to educate the farmers on business management skills, and new techniques to farming at the programme which was sponsored by the US Mission in Nigeria.
The Unique Development Aid Foundation expressed its heartfelt appreciation to the US Mission in Nigeria, for turning this crucial project into a reality through their funding. An initiative that has successfully established a cassava processing mill for farmers.
While speaking at the training the Director Extension, ADP, Abia State Revd Johnson Ibe, taught the farmers on best and safe practices in cassava planting, harvesting, processing and consumption, as well as on basic marketing skills.
He told them that the harvesting period for cassava is between eight to 12 months of planting for better yields. The ADP Director emphasised that hunger and poverty in Nigeria can be scaled down if farmers can produce enough food.
Dr Charles Nwankwo another resource person warned farmers against experimenting with chemicals without consulting experts in the field. He said that Nigerian cassava farmers, especially the women can produce enough food to feed the nation, and for general wealth creation if they are empowered.
A Director of Unique Development Aid Foundation, Elder Uchenna Ibeabuchi, disclosed that the Foundation is interested in empowering rural women to become successful in their businesses.