ibironkeeniola 
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has commenced the training of about 2000 farmers on pest control and storage techniques, as a means of promoting dry season farming and boosting food security nationwide.
Acting Secretary, FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Ibe Chukwuemeka, disclosed this during a media briefing in Abuja, recently.
He noted that the FCT agricultural workforce is capable of contributing to a huge turnaround for the country’s agriculture sector.
According to him, this benefiting factor pushed the administration to embark on these initiatives, to assist farmers.
He asserted that a campaign to boost dry season farming in the FCT is ongoing. He said it will mitigate the adverse effects of the continued attacks on farmers by bandits in some parts of the country.
Chukwuemeka also disclosed that the administration has equally helped the farmers with irrigation equipment and the construction of earth dams.
This is in addition to other measures to ensure a close working relationship with all categories of farmers, as a way of ensuring value-addition through knowledge impartation, he explained.
“As part of efforts to combat and minimize the menace of the Fall Army Worm pest on farmers, the Secretariat through the Department of Agricultural Services trained about 2000 farmers and sold insecticides at 50% subsidized rates to farmers.
“In addition to pest control activities, the Department also carried out training on the use of Purdue airtight bags for effective storage of agricultural produce.
“However, the sales were cut short by the violent protests which led to the looting of our warehouses.
“Similarly, with the successful experiment on Green House farming in Gwagwalada for the production of Tomatoes and different species of Bell peppers the Secretariat is set to establish similar farms in other Area Councils of the FCT,” he added.
SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA