Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State Government has encouraged farmers to get registered in order to benefit from the government’s policies and programmes as well as supports to farmers, while advising them to take agriculture as a means of livelihood.
Governor Peter Mbah stated this on Thursday in his remarks during the opening ceremony of a two-day training of farmers on Mushrooms production and processing, held in Enugu.
Ikengaonline reports that over 170 farmers participated in the first batch of the training.
While reiterating the priority placed on agriculture by his administration, the governor, represented by the commissioner for agriculture and agro industrialisation, Hon Patrick Ubru advised the beneficiaries to take the training seriously in order to become giant producers of Mushrooms in Nigeria for exportation.
He identified farming as a veritable venture for the diversification of the economy, self-reliance and food security, noting that the state government’s plan to eradicate poverty cannot be achieved without much investments in agriculture.
Earlier, the State coordinator, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Enugu, Mrs Pauline Obianuko, who described Mushroom as a very nutritious farm produce that is rich in health benefits with a lot of economic potential, said it is a low capital investment product that can be preserved for export purposes.
While stating that China is the biggest Mushroom market in the world, Mrs Obianuko noted that Mushroom is one of the simplest farm products to cultivate, and commended governor Peter Mbah for providing the necessary support for the training.
She said the training was hands-on as participants were engaged practically by the technical experts for more understanding of Mushrooms farming.
Also, some of the trainees, Mrs Cordelia Emedo and the president of Enugu State Young Farmers Association, Mr Kenneth Eze who expressed gratitude to the governor for making the training a reality, said he would encourage others to venture into Mushrooms production for both local consumption and exportation in order to grow their personal economy.
They acknowledged that the experience during the training showed that people never knew that Mushroom could be cultivated like other farm crops, as many thought that it grows only on a decayed plant and in the bush.
