The Ekiti State government has started training livestock farmers in order to enhance their productivity and contribute to food security within the state through the utilization of contemporary technological tools.
The event titled 'Training on Productivity and Technology Adoption: Survey and Analysis' took place in Ado-Ekiti, which serves as the state capital. This initiative was organized by the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), an entity under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Trainees from various local governments within the state will participate in comprehensive training lasting one week, focusing on utilizing technology to boost efficiency.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Ebenezer Boluwade, who was present through the representation of Permanent Secretary, Babatope Ojo, mentioned that the state is concentrating efforts on four specific livestock sectors: dairy/beef, sheep/goat, piggery, and poultry (including broilers and egg production).
He encouraged all key stakeholders across the agricultural sector to collaborate closely with supporting businesses within the agri-food industry. This collaboration aims to secure long-term food stability and foster harmony throughout Ekiti State.
As he stated, "The livestock sector is extensive and offers significant potential for productive output across our states; therefore, L-PRES is developing strategies aimed at assisting livestock producers and related agri-businesses in mitigating risks and enhancing their capacity to adopt contemporary farming techniques."
As he motivated the participants to make use of the training, he asserted that the government is prepared to back increased productivity in the livestock industry via technological advancements. This initiative aims to promote harmony between farmers and herders within the state.
In his remarks, the project coordinator of L-Press in Ekiti, Olayinka Adedipe, said that L-Press currently operates in 16 local governments of the State, adding that it is carrying out mass extension works with stakeholders such as people in academic and extension officers.
“If we are able to empower 200,000 farmers, look at the indirect jobs that will be linked to that, so, for the indirect jobs, we are looking at over 1.5 million jobs,” he said.
Professor James Ogunlola, the Lead Consultant at Synergy Impact Consulting Limited, highlighted that the focus has typically been on crop cultivation, stating, "This marks the nation’s first shift towards prioritizing livestock production."
He stressed that the significance of livestock should not be overstated since the program aims to bolster rural production. Additionally, he noted that technology plays an essential role in attaining efficient output and must be recognized.
Ogunlola stated, "The L-PRES party is taking appropriate actions, and I assure you that this procedure has the potential to lead Nigeria out of its current crises related to production and daily life."
“Ekiti is an important state when it comes to Agriculture and we must move the state forward in the next one week we are going to help ourselves to gain understanding and develop strategies which we can implement and bring in new ideas amongst the participants.”
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