James Sowole in Akure
The federal government has begun the distribution of high yielding and disease resistant cassava planting materials including Vitamin A cassava stems to the beneficiaries of December 2016 Vocational Training in Sustainable Production Techniques.
The Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA), Ondo State, Dr. Samson Odedina, who flagged off the distribution of the cassava materials at the college ground in Akure, said over 90, 000 bundles each consisting 50 cassava stems would be distributed to beneficiaries.
Odedina disclosed the FECA would handle the distribution of the high yielding stems to beneficiaries in four other states including Edo, Ebonyi , Delta and Kaduna.
He disclosed that the federal government, through the FMARD provided fund used in the training of farmers and that the distribution and training is done in partnership with an international donor organisation involved in the development and delivery of Vitamin A cassava and maize globally.
According to him, the cassava variety can yield up to 40 to 50 tonnes per hectare depending on good recommended agricultural practices.
Other beneficiaries of the cassava stems distribution apart from those that participated in the December training are farmers from the three adopted villages of the college namely, Eleyowo, Owode and Ibulesoro; value chain project students of FECA and selected commercial farmers in partnership with the college.
