The Federal Government says improving agricultural practices through mechanisation is a good way to encourage unemployed youth to embrace agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, said this at the inauguration of a multi- purpose crop and grain dryer machine in Sheda, Kwali Area Council on Thursday in Abuja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was represented by Mr Solomon James, Director, General Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Umakhihe commended the Federal Department of Extension Services for introducing the machine to farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201d One of the key goals of the Green Imperative project is to address deficit in agricultural mechanisation in Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201d Therefore, through the programme, the country is set for a revolution in agriculture through the use of mechanisation innovation that will stimulate production of food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201d It will also attract investments, create massive employment and enhance the livelihood of farming families,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Umakhihe expressed optimism that this new extension approach of providing necessary mechanisation to farmers group would guarantee treating agriculture as a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said this would attract the necessary investments, innovations and best practices for national development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201d Improving agricultural practices through mechanisation is a good way to encourage the teaming unemployed youth into agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201d The Ministry will stimulate other necessary support which is finance, training and so on to facilitate the success of this new agricultural extension model,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier, Director, Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Services, Mr Frank Kudla, said the multi- purpose crop and grain dryer machine\u2019s target was to support farmer\u2019s group to reduce post-harvest losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kudla said that one of the advantages of GTR 750 mobile dryer technology is its collective usage by a number of farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that mobile dryer had a plug and play machine which has its own loading, cleaning, drying, cooling and offloading technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kudla said that the machine also has a control panel which makes it easy to operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a remark, President, Sorghum and Millet Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr Yusuf Adams, commended the federal government for the adoption of the multi grain dryer technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, the FCT Coordinator, Small- Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), Mrs Comfort Sunday, thanked the federal government for providing the dryer machine for smallholder farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She called on the government to implement the \u2018 Malabo Declaration\u2019 which recommended 10 per cent of budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector across Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n
The Federal Government says improving agricultural practices through mechanisation is a good way to encourage unemployed youth to embrace agriculture. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, said this at the inauguration of a multi- purpose crop and grain dryer machine in Sheda, Kwali Area Council on Thursday in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25007,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[701],"tags":[71,325],"class_list":["post-46218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","tag-agriculture","tag-youths","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"yoast_head":"\n