KCO trains 15 organic inspector in FCT

KCO Knowledge Centre for Agriculture has trained 15 organic inspectors to ensure proper certification of organic produce across Nigeria.

The one-week train the trainer workshop which was organised to enhance and encourage the production and sales of quality organic farm produce held in Abuja was part of efforts to support the FCT Organic farms.

Speaking during the training, a master trainer, Dr. Saidat Shonoiki, said the training is being sponsored by the Apex body under the KCO Knowledge Centre for Agriculture where Nigeria is one of the selected countries of the knowledge centre.

“We have various master trainers. As the FCT coordinator of National Association of Organic Practitioners of Nigeria (NAON), We are training core multipliers and they are also organic inspectors. After this training, they are expected to go back to their communities and train others on different organic practices.

“I am a master trainer, so we are training inspectors that can supervise organic farmers in the FCT that would enrich the Organic market that started in the Capital some months ago. So that we can have organic certified producers in the market to increase the export and local consumption of organic food produced in Nigeria.

“The one-week train the trainer workshop had 15 Organic inspectors being trained to support the FCT Organic farms. They are core multipliers and they are also organic inspectors. After this training, they are expected to go back to their communities and train others on different organic practices,” she said.

According to her, among the trainees are the small holder farmers, women farmers, media, the academic and other farmers, this is so that we can get the multiplier effects.

“We are talking about food security and organic farming is all about sustainability, so teaching people on how to use available natural resources is important. Here we are focusing more on small holder farmers, so that we can be food secure.

“And so that they can use available materials for their farming, like composing and how to use natural resources to produce organic fertilizers and pesticides, which will reduce their cost of production and we have taught them on the economics of planting and sustainability. The impact will be on them and they can also become an advocate of organic farming so we can be food secure.

“Most people are into organic agriculture but we cannot call them organic farmers if there is no verification of claims based on standard,” she said.

Also speaking, one of the trainees who also is the FCT secretary, Small Scale women farmers in Nigeria (SOWFAN), Mrs Mercy Nnana, said agriculture is about the country’s food system and the health of the citizens.

“We have come to a point where we will need to mind what we eat before drugs become our food. So, we need to eat food instead of eating drugs and the only way we can do that is to farm right.

She called on Nigerians to go back to the origin, we have no reason to destroy our nature with chemicals.