Agriculture
THE Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) on Tuesday presented improved tomato seeds to vegetable farmers in Kwara.
The Chairman, RMRDC Board, Abdullahi Tambuwal, represented by the Deputy Director, Mr John Obekpa, presented the tomato seeds to the farmers during a training held in Ilorin.
Tambuwal said the presentation was aimed at introducing the vegetable farmers to the new idea on open pollinated seed to recover seeds for planting.
According to the chairman, Plateau, Sokoto, Kano and Kaduna States have benefited from the programme.
“We want our farmers to be more productive and stop wasting tomato seeds. We want to save seeds for planting and feeding the nation.
“We decided to train vegetable farmers in the state so that Kwara can become one of the leading tomato producing states in Nigeria.
“We are introducing a very special seed that is not watery, unlike the regular one. It is good for our industries,” he said.
The chairman however, urged the farmers to take the training serious, be ready to take tomato production to the next level and take processed raw materials to industries.
Receiving the tomato seeds, Mrs Sikirat Olorunoje, Coordinator, Kwara Vegetable Growers Association, commended the board for the gesture, and gave the assurance that they would utilise the training received.
“We will try the new method and follow the steps as highlighted by the organisers. We will ensure we feed the nation with Kwara tomatoes,” she said.
Olorunoje also appealed to the organisers and the Kwara Governor, Abdulrasaq Abdulraham, to allocate land to vegetable growers in the state for cultivation.
“We want enough land mass to practise; we are short of land. We want to work; we are not lazy. Help us with land,” she said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 100 farmers attended the programme. (NAN)
– Nov. 12, 2019 @ 16:05 GMT |
Tags: RMRDC presents improved tomato seeds to vegetable farmers in Kwara
