ISOPADEC Empowers Oil Communities’ Youths with Agro-Business Training …MD Tasks Participants on Active Farming

With a view to boosting food production and promoting economic prosperity in the state, the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC) has engaged youths from oil bearing communities in an Agro-Business Training Programme.

The One-day Agro-Business Training, themed “From Soil to Sales – A Climate-Smart Initiative,” took place at ISOPADEC Building in Owerri on Wednesday.

Participants at the workshop were drawn from the oil producing areas of Imo State.

The SA to Governor Hope Uzodimma on ISOPADEC, Joseph Oputa; ISOPADEC Commissioner for Agriculture Produce, Chief Val Okere and former Imo State House of Assembly Member for Ohaji/Egbema, Hon. Luke Chukwu, expressed optimism that the training would yield positive results if the participants effectively explore the opportunities presented to them.

While delivering a lecture titled “Agripreneurship Scale-Up: Produce, Process, Package and Brand,” Dr. Ebenezer Okechukwu Emeribe of the Department of Agriculture, Imo State University, Owerri, urged the participants to actively engage in farming to enhance their wealth and contribute to food production.

Emeribe said it was also useful for youths to focus on poultry, piggery, fishery, crop production, including cassava, tomato, watermelon, maize, yam and palm oil, as well as animal husbandry, among other agricultural ventures.

He stressed that every naira earned starts with a seed that is well produced, processed and branded, adding that the energy and innovation of youths are needed to take agriculture into the future and enhance food security.

“Use the land to cultivate, produce and process, package and brand. If you talk of farming, you talk of soil. Soil, being the womb of the earth, is very useful in agricultural production and hence, should be properly utilized. This practice will add significant value to humanity and society,” Emeribe emphasised.

Speaking on “Bell Pepper and Onion Production in Imo State,” Dr. Isaac Ekeoja, a crop consultant, advised the trainees to buy seeds directly from agro-dealers to ensure that they plant quality seeds capable of germinating and producing good crops.

He added that improved seeds would grow well and without difficulty, stating that onion farming is a lucrative business that should also be prioritised and practised.

Nwadimma, who based his presentation on “Mushroom Production,” said deforestation, the burning of fossil fuels, industrial activities, agriculture and livestock production, as well as poor waste management, negatively affect the environment and agricultural production.

He called for the preservation of the environment, proper management and recycling of materials that contribute to climate change, explaining that mushroom production, which he described as highly nutritious, is relatively easy to undertake.

In his address, the Managing Director of ISOPADEC, Chief Austin Onyedebelu, said the Agro- Business Training Programme was designed to promote agriculture as a sustainable source of livelihood and economic empowerment for people in the oil producing communities.

Onyedebelu urged the youth to put the knowledge acquired during the training into practice by actively engaging in agricultural production.

He pointed out that agriculture is a major business opportunity, stressing that with the right knowledge, technology, financing and market access, young people can build successful enterprises from farming and create employment opportunities for others.

“That is why ISOPADEC is investing in programmes that provide our youths and people in the oil producing communities with practical skills that can translate directly into income and sustainable livelihoods.

“This training will expose participants to modern and climate-smart agricultural practices, including large-scale farming, efficient use of limited space, improved crop production techniques, proper management of farm inputs, harvesting, processing, packaging and marketing.

“Through this initiative, we want our beneficiaries to learn how to produce more efficiently, minimise waste, make better use of available resources and develop farming systems that can thrive even in challenging environmental conditions.

“ISOPADEC is expanding its interventions beyond traditional infrastructure projects to include human capital development, entrepreneurship, agriculture, ICT and digital skills, vocational training, scholarships, grants, leadership development and other livelihood programmes.”

The MD of ISOPADEC said young people must be equipped to become employers of labour, innovators, entrepreneurs and contributors to the economic growth of their communities, while thanking Governor Hope Uzodimma for his encouragement and support for youth empowerment.

Lauding ISOPADEC for the workshop, a representative of the participants, Tagbo Adizua, said the training was rich and had exposed them to more knowledge about agro- business and agricultural production.

“We are going to utilise the opportunity to better our lives through active farming,” he said.

The highlight of the programme was the presentation of packs containing seeds of pepper, onion, carrot, okro, mushroom and other crops, as well as fertiliser and soil, to the participants for practical cultivation.