In partnership with the Lagos State Agriculture Development Authority (ADA), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security hosted a training session for young individuals and women centered on tomato cultivation.
Addressing the attendees at ADA’s office situated in the Oko-Oba region of Agege, Mrs. Omolara Abimbola-Oguntuyi, the Lagos State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, clarified that the training aimed to promote extensive tomato cultivation in the southern regions of the nation, including Lagos.
” Of late, prices of tomatoes in the market of recent have gone up and unreachable, hence, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture felt that it was high tie we brought in farmers to be involved in the cultivation and production of tomatoes.
”There is no doubt that Lagos is an urban environment but there is more that we can do to make sure that whatever is coming in (from other parts of the country will supplement whatever we can do in the State, so that prices of tomato can come down.
”Women are mostly hit by the skyrocketing prices of tomato because they are the ones that cook in the house, so the more women we can bring into the production of tomato the better so that prices can come down.”
During his speech, Mr. Sola Lawal, the Agriculture Officer from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, elucidated that the training’s objective was to equip farmers with the skills necessary to address the challenges posed by climate change, which are particularly affecting tomato cultivation in the southern part of the nation.
” The main idea behind this training is to increase the capacity of farmers in the agriculture value chain against the backdrop of climate change and tomato is one of the value chains.
”This training is taking place in all states of the southern zone of Nigeria and what we intend to achieve with the training is to empower our farmers with information and tools that would enable them to perform and adapt better in the face of climate change that is impacting food production negatively.
Represented by Dr. Oladipo Opadokun, the Director of Technical Services at the agency, Mrs. Tawakalit Kosoko, the Programme Manager of LSADA, expressed that the agency would oversee the training’s outcomes through the engagement of agricultural extension officers across various regions of the State.
”We have agriculture extension officers in the various zones of the State and the impact of this training would be known through proper monitoring of the participants for necessary follow up on their improvement.”
