By Kunle SHONUGA
The Federal Government-assisted International Funds for Agricultural Development (IFAD), through the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), on Thursday trained Taraba farmers, processors and market women on the use of standard weight and measures for rice and cassava products.
The National Programme Coordinator, Dr Ameh Onoja, led other trainers at the workshop in Jalingo. Onoja who was represented by Mr. Kennedy Esinolu urged participants to apply standard weight and measures in selling their products to get value for their investments.
“It is when you have standard and quality products that people can patronise you. You must follow the standards spelt out in the lectures you are going to take.
“If you use poor processing methods and people eat and die, you are responsible for their death and you must be careful,” he said
On her part, one of the facilitators, Mrs. Rachel Ogunlana, called on farmers to ensure quality and standard for their products, to get value for their products and for the health and well-being of the society.
“You must ensure good hygienic condition for your products because if your products are bad, it will affect your business and endanger the health of the society,” she warned.
Earlier, The Taraba Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr David Ishaya, called on the state House of Assembly to domesticate the law on standard weight and measures for the benefit of farmers and marketers.
Ishaya, who thanked VCDP for choosing Taraba for the workshop, called for proper sensitisation to enlighten the producers, processors and marketers on the benefits of standard weight and measures.
He noted that the workshop was timely and in line with the rescue mission of Gov Darius Ishaku’s administration in the state.
Ishaya noted that the implementation of proper weight and measures would help rescue producers and marketers from the hands of cheats.
The state Programme Coordinator (SPC), Mr Irimiya Musa, represented by the Agricultural Production Officer of the programme Mr Jonah Yavala, called on participants to be attentive and use the knowledge gained at the workshop to improve on the quality and standard of their products.
Some of the participants said the workshop would help them to take stock of how much they put in and the benefits derived.
According to them, the use of standard weight and measures will checkmate cheats in the market as buyers and sellers will know exactly what they are buying or selling.
TBI Africa reports that the participants at the workshop were drown from Wukari, Gassol, Karim-Lamido, Takum and Ardo-Kola local government areas where VCDP is currently intervening.
