As a follow-up on the recent training of agricbusiness operators under Agribusiness Enterprise Development Programme, AEDP, sponsored by the Akwa Ibom State government in collaboration with Elkanis and Partners, the state government has outlined plans to engage supervisors for agriculture and local government agric officers to introduce sustainable farming in the hinterlands.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Glory Edet,  encouraged  farmers to go into commercial farming. Addressing the first batch of AEDP graduates in her office, the commissioner noted that “after the swearing-in of local government chairmen and appointment of supervisors, that the state will invite supervisors for agriculture for training whether they agree to agric-based or not, from there, they will penetrate to all the wards’

The Commissioner revealed that the essence of engaging the graduated trainees is to impact them with more knowledge to enable them to begin their onions farming. Meanwhile, report of the week-long training presented to the Commissioner for Agriculture by the Programme Director, AEDP, Mr Ekanikpong Ben, indicated that the programme is focusing primarily on key value chains in the agricultural sector including vegetables, crop and livestock production.

Mr Ben asserted that Ministry of Agriculture/AEDP training programme will strengthen business linkages among producers, processors and aggregators; reinforce existing business network and increase their competitiveness through improved access to knowledge, technology, land and seedlings.