Farmers’ group urges govt to promote organic agriculture

At the end of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN) has called on the Federal Government to draw up a programme of action that will make organic agriculture a popular avenue for engaging in farming activities in Nigeria.



Prof. Victor Olowe, National President, NOAN, directed this appeal to the government last week, saying the government needs to come to the aid of the association by increasing the role of organic agriculture in its Growth Enhancement Scheme.

Olowe who asserted that organic agriculture is essential to the development of agriculture in the country, said the association is affiliated with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements and is currently handling the Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) project initiative in Nigeria through training of farmers in best practices and provision of inputs while also attending to their challenges.

Dr Olugbenga Ade-Oluwa, EOA Country Project Coordinator, in his address to the AGM said small scale farmers had been empowered on how to do organic farming while producers had also been linked to organic markets. He said Agricultural Development Programmes in South-West had received support in capacity building to perform extension services in organic farming through the EOA project.

“Currently, we are expanding our activities to Northern Nigeria and gradually to Eastern Nigeria,” he said.









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