LASG to broaden youth capacity building in agriculture

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By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos.
Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Agriculture has restated its commitment to broaden the minds of the youth in the state and stimulate their interest in all value chain in the Agriculture sector through intensive training and skill acquisition programme.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Toyin Suarau made the disclosure when he visited the camp of the Agric. Summer School programme for Secondary School students as part of the Ministry’s tour of Agric. facilities in Epe local government and environs.
Suarau said government introduced the Agric-Yes Summer School Programme to provide secondary school students with the technical skills through on-farm practical teaching and field demonstrations.
In a release made available to journalists, signed by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer Tubosun Ogunbanwo, the Commissioner opined that the two weeks intensive training programme which will come to an end on Friday 12th August, 2016 will empower students and make them see agriculture as a money making business and not as subsistence as most people perceived it.
Also speaking at the site of the Cage Culture System in Agbowa-Ikosi Community, Suarau noted the State government introduced the Cage Culture System in riverine communities as a tool of youth empowerment and promotion of fish farming stressing that a lot of youths in riverine communities have shown interest in the initiative.
“Presently in Agbowa, 60 participants are currently undergoing training on how to make floating cages, nets and fish farming right on the natural water bodies. This system will save them the cost of pond construction, stress of changing water and sorting because the fishes will be in their natural environment’’ he added.
The Commissioner however revealed that the participants will be trained for at least 4 months after which they are expected to do their first harvest, then empowered by the government to make a living out of this.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Food Security Mr Sanni Okanlawon who also spoke at Eko Rice Mill in Imota, Poka Epe said the present administration will continue to look into every area and possible initiatives that will contribute to increasing the yield of farm produce in the state.
He added that inspite of the global climate change which constitutes challenge to food security, the Lagos State Government will leave no stone unturned to address these challenges, promote food security and encourage investment in agriculture stressing that this is part of the reasons why his office was created.

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