Member House of Representatives, Honourable Jeremiah Umaru (APC- Akwanga/Nasarawa-Eggon/Wamba) has trained 220 farmers in his constituency on modern storage techniques to tackle post-harvest losses.
Speaking at the opening of the training in Akwanga Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State, the Umaru said the training was to equip the farmers with the technical know-how on the preservation of farm produce to reduce post-harvest losses and ensure food security.
Umaru was represented at the two-day event by his Special Adviser on Constituency Projects, Mr Bala Moses-John.
He added that the training and empowerment programme for farmers was in collaboration with the Federal College of Agriculture, Produce Technology, Kano, Kano State.
According to the lawmaker, at the of the training, each participant will be given one pumping machine, three bags of fertiliser, knapsack sprayer, and other farming inputs.
He said that the farmers were drawn from the 35 electoral wards of the three Local Government Areas (LGAs) that made up the constituency.
He explained that the farmers who hitherto relied only on traditional method of storage, were taught some of the modern storage techniques.
Umaru promised to continue to operate an open door policy and carry the people of the area along irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political party affiliations.
“We have designed a comprehensive blueprint to tackle the numerous challenges confronting the people of my constituency.
“We have a programme to tackle the electricity problem, empower the youths and women, empower farmers to ensure food security, promote sporting activities among others,” he added.
The lawmaker further said that he had sponsored six bills; with two already scaled first reading, as well as one motion at the green chamber to attract Federal Government presence to his constituency.
Umaru, therefore, promised to give the constituents the quality representation they deserved to justify their vote at the polls.
Speaking at the event, Mr Newton Anderson, representative of Federal College of Agriculture, Produce Technology Kano, said he came to ensure that genuine farmers benefited from the programme.
He explained that it was the first time such large number of farmers were benefiting from their institution courtesy Rep. Umaru.
Consultant of the programme, Mr. Vincent Haruna, said the training was necessitated by the desire to teach farmers to embrace modern storage techniques of their food items.
“The traditional method exposes the grains to contamination thereby constituting danger to our health,” he said.
He said that grains were being stored using the improved methods such as bags, silos, warehouses, containers, and even in piles on the ground.
The consultant also advised farmers to desist from using chemicals for storing grains as a result of its health implications.
He described farming as a lucrative business with value chain sufficient enough to turn around the lives of the people and transform the economy of the country.
In his remarks, Adams Maka-Nangba, District Head of Wakama, lauded the lawmaker for the capacity building on safer storage of grains.
He therefore, assure Umaru that the beneficiaries would put into practice the knowledge gained for the benefit of the state. (NAN).
