National Horticulture Research Institute (NIHORT) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have trained 400 youths and women on tomato and pepper production in Lere Federal Constituency of Kaduna State.
Speaking at the training, the Executive Director of NIHORT, Dr Attanda Mohammed Lawal, who was represented by the General Manager, Horticonsultancy Ventures Limited, NIHORT and training coordinator, Dr Joel Akindele Akinfasoye, said the training was aimed at using agriculture to address poverty, crime and other vices among youths.
He also said the programme was a technology-based agricultural training that covered nursery practices, transplanting techniques, field establishment and management.
He said: “It also included control of Tuta absoluta disease, harvesting techniques, value addition, economics of tomato and pepper production, economics of tomato and pepper value addition as well as record keeping in agribusiness.”
According to him, the training is also targeted at building the capacity of youth and women on tomato and pepper production and value addition for creating wealth and generating means of sustainable livelihood.
The community leader at the training, Abbas Sigau, commended the Federal Government for empowering women and young people, while two of the participants, Jaafaru Iliyasu, and Baraka Amunu, said the skill acquired during the training would help them in starting their own tomato and pepper production.