The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, BATN has empowered about 400 farmers to promote climate-smart agricultural practices in Ebonyi State.
The BATN Project Manager, Adetola Oniyegun, stated this at Ugwulagwu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State during a capacity-building organized by the foundation for selected farmers on rice production in the state.
Oniyegun noted that the foundation selected 100 farmers from each of the four benefiting local government Areas; Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Izzi and Ohaozara in the state and trained them on good agronomic practices, water management, safety use of agro-chemicals and fertilizer application to improve food sufficiency and enhance their economic growth.
According to him, the free capacity building project held in the four locations was in collaboration with the Ebonyi State government as part of deliberate efforts by the BATN Foundation to improve farmers' yield and introduce climate-smart agricultural practices in the rural communities.
The BATN Project Manager lauded Ecofield Agrolinks for successfully implementing the project in Ebonyi State, emphasizing that a favourable environment has been provided for agriculture to thrive in the State.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ecofield Agrolinks Enterprises, Mrs Bridget Obi, said that implementing the project ensured that only genuine farmers were selected as beneficiaries of the lofty BATN initiative.
She described the BATN Foundation as a charitable organization established in November 2002 to empower rural Nigerians for sustainability, noting that over 300 community projects have been implemented nationwide to improve the livelihoods of those living in rural communities.
Mrs Obi, the former Commissioner for Women Affairs in Anambra State, advised the benefiting farmers to see agriculture as a big-time commercial venture that needed adequate attention to maximize the opportunity offered by the foundation for optimal benefits in the wider society.
"It is a two-year programme. This year because we didn't come on time, we are doing demonstration farms to go into the practical, let them know how to improve the farmers' yields and introduce climate-smart agriculture practices to the farmers in the rural communities of Ebonyi State.
"Early next year, about March, we will be here, we are coming to empower the 400 people with inputs," Obi said.
Darlington Onele from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Value Chain taught the farmers agro-chemical methods such as land preparation, good agronomic practices, water management, safe use of agro-chemicals, and fertilizer application, among others.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Princess Nkechinyere Iyoku, represented by Mr Chukwuka Ede, advised the farmers to establish corporative societies to benefit more from the interventions by government and non-governmental organizations in the state.
The Traditional Ruler of the Mgbom Ugwulagwu Autonomous Community in Ohaozara LGA, Eze Frank Agueze, said the training by the BATN has exposed the farmers to modern agricultural practices and assured that they would make the best use of the knowledge acquired to improve their farm yields while practising climate-smart agriculture in the area.
A farmer and state coordinator of the project, Mr Ozoemena Njoku urged the beneficiaries of the charitable organization to take the training seriously and commended Governor Francis Nwifuru for prioritizing agriculture in Ebonyi.
