The Ahmadu Bello University’s National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services (AGRA), on Monday organised a three-day training for 45 women on improved rice processing for profitability.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the women were drawn from nine Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
It was organised in collaboration with Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and Kaduna State Ministry for Local Government Affairs.
Speaking at the start of the training, Prof Kabir Bala, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, said the collaboration between the institution’s AGRA and state government was to strengthen the capacities of gender groups.
Represented by Prof. Abdullahi Raddawa, Provost College of Medicine, Bala said the exercise was to enable the participants to adopt improved processing techniques and to have access to simple processing equipment.
“With support from the ministry of local government affairs each group will be given a complete set of simple processing equipment in addition to their capacity being improved,’’ he said.
Earlier, Prof. Christogonus Daudu, Principal Investigator AGRA/NAERLS Project, said the training aimed to put efficient simple technological packages into the hands of small holder farmers and processors.
Daudu added that the project had mobilised expertise and opportunities in the rice post-harvest sector to promote best practices for packaging, parboiling, labeling and other technologies.
NAN reports that the nine LGAs from which participants were drawn are Kaura, Zangon Kataf, Sabon Gari and Kajuru, Chikun, Kubau, Sanga, Lere and Ikara.
Five members from three different women groups were selected from each participating LGAs. (NAN)
