JICA-JAAN trains farmers on post-harvest handling, processing


Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in collaboration with Japan Alumni Association of Nigerian (JAAN), has held one-day workshop on fruits and vegetables production, post-harvest handling and processing, organised for farmers.
 
President of JAAN, Ahmed Agbaranke, said the workshop is meant to help farmers and traders maximise profits and earnings from their labour. 
“Japan has maintained a long standing fruitful relations with Nigeria, and this has translated into different forms collaborations. This workshop is one of the many ways Nigeria and Japan are deepening their friendship. 
 
“Farmers can contribute significantly the country’s GDP. That is why we are training them on how to increase the benefit they get from their produce”


One of the resource persons at the workshop, chief research officer with the National Horticultural Research Institute (NHRI) Ibadan, Oyo state, Dr Rebecca Bolatito Ibe, dispelled the controversies surrounding the safety of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as healthy consumables for man or not, is unnecessary, noting that a GMO is only a breeding work and a way of improving things

The debate concering the safety of GMOs has been a raging one in recent times. The more researchers try to disabuse the fear factor, the more people become skeptical about the safety of GMO products.

She said, “Genetically Modified Organism, popularly referred to as GMO, is safe for human health. From scientific research evidences, GMO is a breeding work and a way of improving things and nothing more.”

Delivering his welcome address, the President of Japan Alumni Association of Nigeria, Ahmed Agbarakwe, explained that the workshop was meant to empower farmers, producers and sellers to enable contribute to Nigeria’s GDP

He reiterated that the market value of fruits and vegetables is such that if properly handled can contribute to enhancing the quality of lives of rural farmers and all those along the value-chain.

“Fruits and vegetables have huge economic prospect but why it is as if our farmers are not getting enough benefits from their efforts is because of poor post-harvest handling, processing and marketing,” he said.