The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the British American Tobacco Foundation has trained 100 small holder farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in irrigation farming.

The empowerment program also involved the distribution of irrigation equipments to the farmers who served as representatives of clusters drawn from the area councils in the move to help them expand their irrigation farming for year-round food production. At the empowerment program in Gwagwalada yesterday, the director, federal department of agriculture, Engr A.G Abubakar justified that irrigation farming remains a feasible way to increase food production through year-round farming while leveraging  the abundant water resources to cultivate crops and enhance livelihoods. Represented by the deputy director, irrigation agriculture and crop development division, Sugra Mahmood, Abubakar told farmers to make judicious use of the equipment and ensure an improvement in collective contribution to the national food security drive.

She noted that the ministry was promoting irrigation agriculture to enable year-round production in the country and also combat the effects of climate change. In his remarks, representative of the British American Tobacco Foundation and implementer partner, Eco-lead Imperial Engineering and Global Services, Engr Sadiq Waziri noted that the programme was paramount to support smallholder farmers and encourage them adapt to climate change practices. “We have to make some deliberate attempt to create the resilience in the farmers so that they can continue farming which is irrigation, this is why something like this came as part of the foundation support to climate change adaptation”, Waziri said.

Ada Peter