The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, through the National Institute for Horticultural Research (NIHORT), in a bid to reduce post-harvets losses, has trained women and youths in three local government areas of Delta State on proper handling of mushroom and tomato.
The training was in three batches, with each batch representing each local government. The first batch of the training representing Ndokwa West Local Government had 35 women and youth as participants with each of them presented with certificate of participation.
The second batch representing Ndokwa East also had 35 women and youths, while the third batch involving Ukwani Local Government had 30 women and youths. In all, 100 women and youths were trained in mushroom and tomato value chain.
The training covered value addition to mushroom, utilisation, processing mushroom value added products, value addition to tomato, processing requirements, storage of tomato products, precautions for food handlers, flow chart for tomato dry slices/powder, flow chart for preserved whole peeled tomato, tomato puree flow chart, Economic analysis of mushroom value addition into dry flakes, economic analysis of tomato value addition into powder and economic analysis of tomato value addition into whole peeled tomato fruits.
The training aimed at delivering technologies that will address the post-harvest losses encountered by these farmers through training on mushroom and tomato value addition.
Executive Director, NIHORT, Mohammed Lawal Atanda, who was represented by Director of Research, Dr. E. I. Nwanguma, said the training will enhance the Federal Government’s efforts and focus on agriculture and drive the diversification of the country’s economy.
He noted that the choice of training on value addition on mushroom and tomato is relevant due to the increase in mushroom consumption as a result of the consciousness of the nutritional and medicinal value and to alleviate post-harvest loss for better livelihood of the farmers.
Two of the participants, Mr Ndego Uchechukwu and Mrs Achi Uzoma, speaking on behalf of other participants, promised to utilise all the knowledge gained from the training and to start up their processing business after the training. The participants were empowered with starter packs to take off after training.
Also, NIHORT has trained not less than 200 farmers on plantain value chain in Delta State to improve the livelihood of the farmers.
These farmers are women and unemployed youths in Ndokwa West, Ndokwa East and Ukwani Local Government areas of Delta State.
The training covered plantain ripening and areas of intervention, value added products from plantain, pre-processing operations, modes of drying, packaging, storage, flow chart for processing plantain products, plantain chip processing business and economics of plantain value addition.
Managing Director of the consulting firm, GAKFAWS Investments Consult Ltd, Ambassador Chibuzor Okereke, appreciated the Federal Government for the empowerment programme to alleviate poverty of the populace and also expressed gratitude to the lawmaker for facilitating the training programme.
He encouraged participants to transfer the skills acquired to others.
Plantain is an important crop of great economic importance and of high demand in Nigeria.
They are valuable raw material for processed products such as plantain flour, chips, baby food, biscuit etc. It is a profitable horticultural crop that provides income to farmers and agents involved in its input supplies, production, marketing and transporting.
Plantain serves as an industrial raw material for the food and beverage industry for making baby weaning foods, biscuits, bread and cakes. It is a low-capital agribusiness; very lucrative and most Nigerian soil is good for plantain production.
Participants at the training commended NIHORT and promised to put into practice all the knowledge gained from the training. They also affirmed that the commodity value chain has potential to contribute to food security, generate employment and sustainable livelihood.
They also commended the Federal Government, the facilitators and organisers.
Two of them, Mrs Fidelia Oyemike and Mr Achudume David, said they now have better understanding of the plantain value addition, adding that they were impressed with the training and plan to start cottage processing.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
