ICRISAT trains Gombe youths on Sorghum, others value chain
Chima Azubuike
No fewer than fifty youths from Balanga and Billiri Local Government Areas of Gombe State, were trained in cereal-legume value chains, with specific target of improving productivity and income from producing these crops.
Speaking at the event, the Scientist in charge of Gender Research for the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Tropics (ICRISAT) in West and Central Africa, Dr. Jummai Yila said the training event was borne out of a survey carried out in Bauchi, Kano and Gombe State.
According to Yila, survey was conducted in 2019 to examine how to harness the potentials of youths towards understanding the value chain, assess their aspirations and opportunity structure in the agri-food value chain.
“Hence the training is an important step toward building capacity and increasing awareness among youths on the potentials of improved millet, sorghum and groundnut varieties production and value addition in the State.
“The training objective was to equip a critical cadre of young farmers on the laudable pathway to utilize improve technologies/varieties of groundnut, millet and sorghum in production, processing and marketing to uplift the standard of living and income of the youths and women,” she said.
Yila added that the training is an intervention by ICRISAT which will improve the youths’ perception of agriculture, provide youths with the opportunity to take up farming and agricultural activities as a business. The training workshop encouraged the youths to strategically organize themselves into groups so they access and have some control of the market.
Also speaking, Dr. Bashir Alhaji Baba, a researcher at Lake Chad Research Institute Maiduguri, stressed the need for participants to understand the different improved varieties of crops developed and promoted by ICRISAT, adding that it will boost the productivity of the crops, increase income, fight hunger and malnutrition.
Bashir said, “the knowledge imparted to the participants will go a long way to improving their lives and economies if well adhered to because the varieties are available and easy to access.”
He commended ICRISAT for the research work, especially on the three main crops in focus, expressing believe that not long from now the dividends of the workshop will be seen.
Participants were advised to always seek extension advice from the Gombe State Agricultural Development Program (GSADP) who are close by and are able to guide the youth on-farm decisions.
Participants at the Workshop drawn from different groups across the two local government expressed satisfaction with the training and applauded ICRISAT for the timely training and information received. Bome Titus and Yusuf Shuaibu said they will go back home and put into practice what they have learnt.
