By Labofa Ukuta Ogoba
The Henry Seriake Dickson Foundation (HSDF) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture have trained over 350 farmers in Bayelsa West Senatorial District on fertilizer use.The training aims to address concerns about food security and the recent scarcity of fertilizer.
The programme includes lectures on fertilizer application and empowerment of over 350 beneficiaries with thousands of 50kg bags of fertilizers to increase farmers’ yields. In her remarks, Professor Perekeyi Tawari-Fufeyin, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Hensard University said the training is a shining example of the series of programmes that the various centres in the university will be holding to impact the local communities in the state and beyond.
She described the training as a timely intervention in tackling the problems of food security occasioned by the scarcity and consequential hike in the price of fertilizer in the country.” Well, we all know that the recent scarcity of fertilizer has posed a threat to the security of food in our country.
“ A programme of this sort is one of the many trainings the various centres in Hensard University will hold to impact the communities.” Professor Tawari- Fufeyin informed. Former Sagbama Local Government Chairman, Mr. Richman Samuel urged beneficiaries to use the knowledge gained in the programme to address food scarcity in the Senatorial District and beyond.
“ A training of this sort is necessary to address the threat to food security that the scarcity and hike in the prices of fertilizer poses to the country. I urge beneficiaries of this programme to use their knowledge gathered from the empowerment programme to tackle the problem of food scarcity that looms.” Mr. Samuel Said.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the programme which was held at Hensard University Centre for Entrepreneurship, Comrade Ebide Brown, a beneficiary from Ekeremor and Miss Brakemi Fiyebo, a beneficiary from Sagbama Local Government Area, thanked the organizers of the programme for the timely intervention by way of organizing the programme stressing that, it has equipped them with more knowledge to address food scarcity and increase the yield of their farms.
They urged state governments and NGOs to organize more trainings of this sort in the bid to tackle the looming food security challenges in the country.