USAID partners WINROCK to empower farms in FCT
To continue boosting food supply chain of families and individuals, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its partner, WINROCK, has embarked on a farmer-to-farmer project training workshop in the Federal Capital Territory.
It was organised in conjunction with a religious organisation, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Kubwa in Bwari Area Council.
While declaring the two day intensive training workshop open, the Country Director, Farmer-to-Farmer Agricultural Education and Training, Mr. Mike Bassey, revealed that Nigeria was rated the largest economy in Africa and one of the largest growing economies in the world, yet the growth had not translated into improved standard of living and quality of life for many Nigerians as unemployment remained a significant problem, hence the need to improve family nutrition using the Sacks Gardening Opportunity .
He stated that urbanisation, limited land, water conservation, little or no healthy soil as well as economic recession in Nigeria had led to a drop in household income and standard of living which had further led to diversification of sources of income.
According to him, the USAID funded Farmer-to-Farmer project is an Agricultural Education and Training scheme implemented in Nigeria by WINROCK International, a US based NGO, which encourages smart agricultural practices like hydroponics, container and sacks farming with focus on highly nutritious vegetable, eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, lettuce and pumpkin among others on balconies and backyards.
The workshop facilitator, Dr. Anna Snider, a farmer-to-farmer volunteer from the United States with experience in horticulture, natural resources and environmental management, community development in childhood nutrition and obesity prevention, tasked participants to ensure the training translated into more economic benefits for families and communities.
The facilitator, who promised to embark on house to house assessment of the sack gardening of those who had done so, said the practice would create sustainable wealth and add nutritional value to the society.
Expressing his delight for the farmer-to-farmer intensive training workshop, Pastor Oluwatoyin Tejunade commended the US organisation for the agricultural initiative, describing it as an interesting and convenient farming venture for all households.
He urged participants to take advantage of the training to empower themselves while catering for individual family nutritional needs. The two-day intensive training workshop had 54 participants in attendance who received certificates of participation.
