The Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo State, has trained 200 unemployed graduates and youths in modern techniques of agriculture and agriculture value chains.
It was gathered that the trainees who attended the three-day programme were from different parts of the country.
Speaking on the programme, tagged ‘Agricultural value chain training programme for the youths and unemployed graduates’, the Provost of the college, Dr Albert Faduyimu, said the training was all about imparting skills into farmers and would-be farmers in agricultural technologies.
According to him, the trainees would be trained in poultry, fishery, piggery, agricultural mechanisation, sustainable cassava production and value addition.
He said, “As we all know that things evolve, processes, situations and technologies evolve from time to time, and agriculture is not left out. So, there are changes in innovation and discoveries and so on. So, our farmers need to be regularly updated about new technologies.
“The training is to impart new skills, new innovation on our farmers and those who are intending to join agriculture newly, and we invited 200 participants.”
According to the Faduyimu, the selection of the participants was done democratically
“We normally ask those who are interested to apply in our agroshop (on the campus of the institution) or online and the register is open throughout the year. All the participants were chosen from the register without knowing any of them. Some registered through our website.”
He said the training was supposed to have come up in 2021 but it was delayed till 2022 due to the paucity of funds.
– Punch