Efforts to strengthen local agriculture through a shift from inorganic to organic farming practices are beginning to record tangible gains in Taraba State.
This was evident over the weekend when the Women and Children Health Empowerment Foundation (WACHEF) trained more than 13,000 women farmers in agroecology and organic farming techniques across the state.
The training, organised by WACHEF with the support of ActionAid Nigeria, was brought to the fore at a town hall meeting aimed at linking the trained farmers with potential markets for their produce.
Speaking, the West Africa Project Officer of the Strategic Partnership for Agroecology and Climate Justice West Africa (SPAC), Latifat Shehu Magaji, said the programme underscored WACHEF’s long-standing commitment to sustainable agriculture.
Magaji urged farmers in Taraba State and across the country to adopt organic farming as a sustainable alternative to inorganic methods, stressing that the approach would help mitigate climate change while enhancing the livelihoods of small farmers.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of WACHEF, Faizat Abubakar Yero, said the organisation was deliberately focusing on women farmers to accelerate the adoption of organic farming practices.
She added that arrangements had been made to connect trained farmers with viable markets to ensure economic benefits from their produce.
The town hall meeting, which centred on improving market access for farmers, attracted stakeholders from the transportation sector, the Ministry of Justice, the media, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, among others.
Experts at the forum argued that organic crop production could significantly reduce conflicts and challenges associated with farming, particularly those linked to environmental degradation and health risks.
Officials of the Taraba Agricultural Development Programme (TADP) under the state Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting farmers with improved and well-researched technologies.
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They assured participants that any technology made available to farmers would be thoroughly tested and proven effective.
Earlier, the Chairman and Founder of WACHEF, Dr Garba Danjuma, warned farmers about the health hazards associated with the excessive use of inorganic chemicals. He called on farmers nationwide to reduce their reliance on chemical inputs and embrace locally sourced fertilisers.
“Let us try to reduce these chemicals as much as possible. If we put our heads together, nothing is impossible. We want to promote farming using local fertilisers,” Danjuma said.
The town hall meeting, as observed by Daily Post, concluded with women farmers displaying farm produce cultivated through organic methods, while commending WACHEF for its sustained efforts in equipping them with the technical knowledge required to improve their farming practices.
