Association set to engage over 300, 000 youths in moringa farming

The Moringa Farmers and Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MFAN), says it plans to engage over 300, 000 youths in moringa farming as part of its efforts to tackle unemployment in the country.

MFAN President, Mr. Michael Ashimashiga made this known in an interview in Abuja on Sunday.

Ashimashiga said that modalities have been set for engaging 500 youths per each of the 774 local government areas in the country, to cultivate and sell moringa plant in view of its high demand locally and internationally.

“Moringa is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree of the family. It is commonly known as drumstick tree and used as vegetable, among other things,” he said.

Ashimashiga noted that the project would be launched on a 10, 000 hectares of land in Nasarawa state, in a couple of few weeks.

According to him, each of the beneficiaries will be given a plot of land and moringa seeds at no cost, to cultivate.

He noted that after the launch, local government coordinators of the project would engage 500 youths each.

On having buyers for the plant, the president said there was a ready market to absorb each farmer’s yield, adding that the association would buy the plant from the farmers.

“The development of the country depends largely on agriculture and moringa is one plant that does not only have health benefits, but economically viable.

“Moringa is very useful in high quality poultry yield among others. The economic benefits also cannot be over-emphasised.

There was a moringa summit in 2008 organised by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, but since then we have not heard anything.

“At the summit there were several presentations including some, which projected that the federal government can generate over N500billion revenue annually.

I still have most of the presentations with me. Nigeria’s moringa is one of the best in the whole world, but unfortunately, it is not on the list of agricultural products.

“We will keep clamouring for it to be included, to help solve the problem of unemployment,” he said.

He added:”We are going into a N9 billion moringa tree plantation in all the 774 council areas across the country and in the first phase of the project, we are engaging 500 youths, per local government to cultivate it.”