Jethro Ibileke/Benin
The Regional Programme Director Sustainable Smallholder Agri-business Programme (SSAP), Dr. Annemaria Matthess, has disclosed that 9,630 small holder farmers in Edo State have been trained by the German International Cooperation, GIC, to build capacity for increased income and diversified production.
He disclosed this Wednesday in Benin, at the flag-off of the 2018 farming season and sixth anniversary of the Edo State Forum of Farmers’ Business School Multipurpose Cooperative Union.
According to him, those trained were farmers with specialisation in cocoa production, and was conducted in partnership with the Agricultural Development Programmes for cocoa farmers in Abia, Cross River, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun States.
Matthess, who was represented by a Senior Technical Advisor, Mr. Ayo Akinola, explained that the programme was designed to equip the beneficiaries with business and technical skills.
He said three core tools-farmer business school, good agricultural practices and cooperative business school-were deployed to create better access to loans from service providers for the over 97,000 farmers who had benefited from the initiative in the six States.
“The FBS training has succeeded in changing the orientation of farmers, who now see farming as a business enterprise that needs to be well-planned so as to reap the highest returns from the enterprise,” he said.
He noted that the participation of the State government in funding would enable the ADP and local farmers to scale up and expand their services, “resulting in competitive growth and employment.”
Earlier, the President of the forum, Mr. Frederick Thomas, disclosed that the Union was exploring business relationship with a private commodities exchange firm to promote job creation and food security.