USAID, partners Multi -National Agro Company, urges Government to partner with the Private Sector

 

 

Agro Economy: USAID, in collaboration with a Multi -National Agro Company named “Tractor on the Go ( a Subsidiary of Origin Group) organized a 2-Day Training on Mechanized Agriculture for 50 Rural Farmers  in Ebonyi State. Correspondent Clement Nnachi reports

 

United States Agency For International Development (USAID) in collaboration with MATT Anthony Consultant Limited organized a 2-Day Training on Mechanized Agricultural Productivity.

 

The Company “Tractor On the Go, a Subsidiary of Origin  Group , a multi-national Company in Agro-Business assembled women/youths to acquaint them on the usage/importance of Power Tillers and Tractors .

 

Experts at the Training called on Government to partner with the Private Sector to guarantee that their funds/investments were safe to enable the women rent the Equipment and use them for Farming.

 

In organizing the Event, Five States in the country were selected for Funding  on the Project that focused on Empowering Women in Mechanized agriculture.

 

Delivering a Keynote Lecture, an Agriculturalist and  Deputy Vice Chancellor Ebonyi State University abakaliki Professor Happiness Oselebe,said that the Training was aimed at Training selected Rural Farmers on the principles of Mechanized Agriculture and to enable them put into practice the knowledge they acquired.

 

“For today we have come to teach women and youths the essence of Mechanization in Agriculture, we believe that agro-business has evolved to a business, its no longer  the subsistence Farming it used to be ‘

 

“We need everyone to know that Mechanization is essential , Farmers receive practical knowledge in the usage of Tractors, Power Tillers”

 

Professor Oselebe urged the women to begin to explore and utilize Agricultural Equipments by forming Cooperative for easy access to them.

 

In a remark , the Dean of Faculty of Management Sciences Ebonyi State University Professor Ike Elechi Ogba, said that Ebonyi State was chosen because of uts aggrarian nature.

 

The Lecture  has the Topic “Mechanized Agriculture and Impact on Poverty Alleviation for Women Farmers”

 

Professor Ogba said that Ebonyi State has the advantage as an Agro-Economy stating that the State needed to create enabling Enviroment for the Rural Farmers to strive.

 

“Statistically, more Women are into Agro -farming than even men at a very lower scale, if we have a System that will allow them gain access to Funding ”

 

“How we can equip the women with seeds that can be adaptable to our enviroment and create a healthy enviroment”

 

“These women can actually rent implements at a very low price mechanized Equipments, a woman can hire a hectare of Land and reproduce simply by using Mechanized Farming System ”

 

Professor Ogba commended “Tractor On the Go”for selecting Ebonyi State among  Five other States in the country.

 

“We have a ,”Back up System, where beneficiaries can come back again for Consultation ‘

 

“The “Origin Group” are poised to establish their Data Base in the State, the women will be a Data Base the Company can follow up”

 

Professor Ogba, said the criteria for selection of the trainees was for the person to be Resident in the State, be a farmer and be willing to diversify Agricultural produce such as  maize, yam and rice.

 

In an Interview, a participating farmer Mrs Nwibo Ezeora Nkechinyere, commended “Orange Group multi-national Agro Company, for organizing the Training stating that it has impacted positively on their knowledge on mechanization.

 

Other Farmers namely Miss Mary Ifeoma Moses, said that she was excited that Rural Farmers were selected as participants of the Training.

 

On his part Mr Nwibo Jeremiah, said the Training offered an opportunity to Change the mindset of the youths towards Farming and agro- business.

 

“I believe if young people have access to Farming Equipments and implements, it would result to massive Number of Farmers leading to High Productivity”

 

The Event selected 50 Farmers for Training comprising men and Women who will ultimately embrace  Mechanized Farming method.