ARMTI Trains Agric Produce Exporters On Better Practices In Kwara

AGRICULTURAL and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) has trained a selected group of 50 agric produce exporters on value creation through effective human capital development in the area of agricultural produce exportation.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of a five-day training workshop at the ARMTI headquarters, Jimba Oja, Ilorin on Tuesday, the executive director of the institute, Dr. Olufemi Oladunni, encouraged agriculture producers to go into export business to reduce poverty level.

“We are trying to create business opportunities for youths, we want to let them know that they can engage in export business of agricultural produce that people tend to overlook. As common as waterleaf that is here, that grows in raining season without planting in this part of the country, it can be exported and people are making thousands of pounds. I know people who on weekly basis make at least £30,000. You see what it translates to if someone can make even if it is £10,000 weekly in Nigeria.

“The whole essence is to reduce poverty, to generate new grade of employment through the agricultural value chain at every spot of agricultural value chain: producing, harvesting, processing, and storage. There are millions of employment that we are not tapping from the value chain. For instance, transporters and those who have warehouses will fit into it because the products must stay somewhere before they go out. These are the things we are trying to create, so that we can generate a lot of employment, we can increase income of peoeple, and then we can as well reduce poverty so that people can have access to a better standard of living.

“Through agriculture, they can become whatever they want to become in life and then we are encouraging them by teaching them how to do it because everything has standard.

We have brought in experts from Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Shippers Council and Quarantine services, who will tell them the features so that their product will not be banned from entering international markets. These experts are well versed are well versed about the quality and standard that is acceptable at the international market where the products are going, the Export Promotion Council can Promote those things and they will know exactly how to do it and how best they will earn better income.

source-tribuneonlineng.com