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Farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been advised to cultivate the culture of adding value to their farming activities, in order to increase yield and ensure food security.
The secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), Nzekwe Stanley, gave the advice on Friday while speaking at a sensitisation workshop organised by Bebeyi Global Logistics Ltd in collaboration with the Secretariat.
According to him, the event was organised to sensitise farmers on the imperative of adding value to their produce in Abuja.
He said: “Adding value to farm produce is vital for agricultural sustainability, manufacturing processes and increased value of agricultural commodities. Farmers’ crops are in raw form, thus have lower values, but when processed, they have improved yields and can generate higher income.
The secretary, wow a represented by a Deputy Director in the Secretariat, Innocent Ajaefobi, also said “the sensitisation of farms on tree crops will improve value and create jobs and wealth, ensure food security, and as well provide nutritional values to consumers.”
Stanley reaffirmed the commitment of the FCT Administration towards revitalising the agriculture sector, “particularly in the area of tree crops value addition for growth enhancement and productivity.”
Speaking earlier, the organiser, Bebeyi Global, who was represented by Muyiwa Samuel Osanyintade, said “value-chain and value-addition will bring about growth enhancement among farmers in the FCT,” stressing that “production, food security, income result, employment and self-empowerment are value-chain.”
He added that other advantages of the value-addition to include production of high quality products, attraction of high prices for products and medicinal importance, among others.
