Federal ministry of agriculture trains women, people with special needs on sack farming, home gardens
From Our Correspondent.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has organised a training workshop on sack farming and home gardening for small-scale women farmers and people with special needs as part of efforts to enhance food security in the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, disclosed this during a one-day workshop/sensiststaion of participants across North Central Zone held in Minna.
Ogunbiyi who was represented by the Zonal Director, North Central Zone, Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Food Security, Abdul Agbaji,
said the workshop was to equip participants with knowledge and skills to cultivate their food in the comfort of their backyards.
He emphasised the critical role women play in agriculture and the importance of inclusivity in agricultural programme
“The training is designed to tap into the potential of women and persons with disabilities in achieving food security as we believe they play critical role.
“Women are the backbone of our agricultural sector, and their participation is essential to our success,” he said.
He said the workshop focuses on sack farming and home gardening, innovative approaches that require minimal space as part of efforts to make them ideal for urban and rural dwellers alike.
According to him, participants will learn from experts in the field, share experiences, and gain hands-on training on sack farming and home gardening.
Also speaking, the Director Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mrs Kachallah Damaturu, said the workshop was to empower rural women and people with special needs through farmer field schools.
She said agroecology training for sack farming and home garden, financial literacy, inclusion, and organic agriculture/manure was a means of empowering rural women in the communities.
Damaturu explained that sack farming was a simple innovation technique that involves growing plants in sacks or bags.
She emphasised the importance of gender inclusiveness in the agricultural sector, adding that women and people with special needs face unique challenges in agriculture.
Similarly, the Coordinator, Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Food in Niger State, Malalm Suleiman Ladan, said the participants from Niger were selected from women cooperatives and empowerment initiatives for persons with disabilities.
Ladan who was represented by Hajiya Ramatu Salihu, a staff of the Ministry, advised the the participants to use the opportunity to acquire skills on each farming and home gardening in order to boost food security.
Mrs Esther Andrew, a participant from Nasarawa with special needs, thanked the ministry for ensuring inclusiveness of persons with special needs.
She said she has been practicing backyard farming and sack farming, which had been sustaining her family and providing a source of income.
Another participant, Mrs Comfort Samuel from Niger, said the training on sack farming would help them overcome challenges women farmers faced and promised to embrace sack farming and improve food production to feed the state and the nation.
