University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (UAES) Umuagwo, Imo State, Nigeria recently concluded a capacity building workshop aimed at equipping farmers and other participants with modern skills and techniques that would not just benefit the farmers but the entire humanity in their environment.
The program which was funded by the Erasmus+ of the European Union had farmers/members of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Farm Officers, Technologists, Farm attendants, MSc Students in Agroecology and Food Systems, Staff and Students of UAES as participants.
The theme of the workshop was “Rural Labs for Sustenable Agricultural Development”, and held at the University’s Farm and Agroecology Rural Lab.
Declaring the training open, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Christopher Eze said the program was one of the capacity building trainings of the AGRECOFARM Project funded by the Erasmus+ of the European Union lined up to equip farmers and other field workers with practical experience that will impact on the daily discharge of their duties which the Government of Imo State under Governor Hope Uzodimma has bought into to advance agriculture, ensure food security and knowledge boosting in the agricultural sector.
Prof Eze urged participants to strictly apply all they had acquired at the workshop and see new things happen in their farms in particular and their environment at large.
He informed participants about the ongoing MSc in Agroecology and Food Systems program which the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Umuagwo Imo State (UAES) and Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) are the Universities offering the program in Nigeria presently.
He noted that the pioneer students in the program are in the Second Semester of the first Session and will soon graduate. He encouraged interested qualified candidates to enroll into the program next Session which will start in September.
Coordinator of UAES AGRECOFARM/ TVET project, Dr Vitus Ayo Enwerem in his address explained that the workshop was aimed at equipping participants with “On Hands” technical, practical and vocational skills on general farming, smart agriculture, harvesting, processing, storage, bio security profitability and agro-waste recycling for the overall benefits of farmers and humanity at large.
Dr Enwerem thanked and appreciated the Erasmus+ of the European Union for giving the project leverage and support. He urged farmers to adopt Agroecological practices in order to preserve Soil health and Environment. He emphasized that Agroecology is a new farming system that will help farmers to increase yield while maintaining the environment.
He commended the Vice Chancellor of the University and his Management team for ensuring smooth take off of the project alongside full implementation of the dictates of the program.
Some of the resource persons at the workshop among whom were Dr Adaobi Onyechere, Dr Mrs Joy Oparaojiaku, Dr Ayo Enwerem, Dr C O Osuagwu (Dean Faculty of Agriculture), Dr Leonard Amulu, Dr Angus Ike, Dr Mrs Amanze, and Dr C T Amanze spoke on different Agroecology topics such as Volarisation of Farm Residues, Smart farming, Bio security, agro-waste recycling, among other issues.
Some of the participants who spoke with the NIGERIAN NEWSGUIDE at the end of the training remarked that the workshop was indeed an eye opener to them in many ways. They thanked the organizers of the program, noting that they were now better equipped with new farming skills and techniques that would enhance their productivity and profitability. The farmers noted that they will no longer burn the residues from their farms but rather separate them and turn the degradable ones into Organic fertilizers.
Participants were later conducted round the smart farming environment of the University by the Green/Screen House Manager, and were also given Certificates of participation at the end of the workshop.
