The Niger State Ministry of Agriculture has empowered farmers through training on the use of a solar-powered bubble dryer for the preservation of perishable farm produce.
The training, which was held on Wednesday in Minna, was organised in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, as well as Dare Consultant.
The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Bawa Musa, said the training was to educate farmers on how to preserve their farm produce, reduce post-harvest losses and increase their income.
Musa, who was represented by Alhaji Maikasuwa Garba, Director, Agric Services and Linkages, said the training was part of a pilot programme aimed at introducing solar powered bubble dryer technology to farmers.
“This training is to equip our farmers on the use of technology to sun their products, instead of sun drying their produce by the roadside.
“This roadside practice is unhygienic, hence the need to embrace technology for the safety of the food we all consume,” Bawa said.
He said the solar-powered bubble dryer, which was fabricated by Dare Consultant, would be made available to farmers at subsidised rates.
Alhaji Abubakar Manko, the state’s Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), lauded the organisers for training farmers on use of modern way of sun drying their produce.
Manko, represented by Malam Danasabe Umaru, Organising Secretary of AFAN, said the association would encourage its members to embrace the new technology.
Similarly, Mrs Helen Shaba, the state’s Coordinator of National Association of Women in Agriculture (NAWA), appreciated the organisers for the training, especially to women farmers.
Shaba, who was represented by Mrs Victoria Alkali, said that the training would enhance the knowledge of women farmers on preserving farm produce to reduce losses.
Representative of Young Farmers Association of Nigeria in Niger, Malam Aliyu Anaba, noted that the dryer would ease the drying process for their members as many of them loose produce due to lack of proper drying facilities.
In her presentation, the Resource Person, Dr Hassana Garba, Director, Extension Services, Niger State Agricultural Mechanisation Agency (NAMDA), highlighted the benefits of the solar-powered bubble dryer.
“The machine preserves farm produce, especially perishable produce like tomatoes, and reduces post-harvest losses,” she said.
She added that the machine would also help farmers to maintain the quality and quantities of their produce as well as increase their income.
